RangeMan Insecurity
by sonomom
Summary: What happens when the road to happily-ever-after is full of hairpin twists and turns, and a few really big potholes?  Stephanie and Ranger navigate their road with the help of family and friends.  A sequel to Lingerie  S/R pairing HEA
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is meant to be a sequel to **_**Lingerie**_**, but it is not necessary to have read **_**Lingerie**_** before starting on this story. As always I make the disclaimer: I use these characters for fun and not profit. I will post in two chapter segments and I will respond to all reviews, hopefully in a timely manner. I want to thank jago-ji and latetolove for their support, guidance and corrections of my ridiculous mistakes…they didn't edit this author's note as you, the reader, can probably tell!**

Part One: Bunch-a-Bunch of Burnin' Love

Chapter 1

I stared at the bottle of beer with increasing irritation. Tiny rivulets of condensation dripped down the long neck and over the label to puddle on the table. Tank's large square-tipped fingers wrapped around the brown bottle and brought it to his lips. His Adam's apple bobbed as he downed half the contents in one huge, thirsty gulp.

I was pregnant and very happy about it, but I missed the occasional bottle of beer. I missed the daily donut, or three, and I missed Tastykakes. The sacrifice I was making was worth it. I had changed my eating habits and was consuming a mostly healthy diet, free from sugar, caffeine and alcohol. My body was a temple. I was channeling Ranger. I just thought other people could be a little more considerate.

I looked over at Lula, my friend and former wheelman, gnawing on a fried chicken drumstick. Ranger sat next to me eating a broiled chicken breast identical to the one on my plate. He drank water and I drank milk. I was more than four months pregnant, so I just had to stick to these healthy eating habits for another few months. I was irritated, partly with the knowledge I'd give up a week's worth of broiled chicken for just one bite of fried chicken, or one swallow of beer.

The rest of the irritation came from my mother's constant warnings that pregnancy would derail my inherited Hungarian metabolism that allowed me to eat donuts and fried chicken and not gain weight. My real fear was after the baby was born I'd be on a junk-food-free diet forever, or I'd never get back into my favorite jeans.

I sighed with the realization that impending parenthood had already started changing my life. My diet wasn't the only thing that had changed. My occupation had also been modified due to my pregnancy. I was no longer employed by Vincent Plum Bail Bonds as a BEA. I did a little work for RangeMan and I was pursuing my own business venture. Stephanie Plum, BEA, was part of my past and Stephanie Mañoso, successful business woman and mother, was my future. Life was good, but in a weird state of stasis and change all at the same time.

I found myself thinking after the baby was born, I'd make a change in my diet; after the baby was born, I'd drink a beer. Many parts of my life seemed to be on hold 'til after the baby was born. Other parts were changing so rapidly I could barely keep up.

"Babe." I looked up to see three pairs of eyes on me.

"Where are you at?" Lula asked. "You looked like you was a million miles away. Didn't you hear us talking to you?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. I've been a little preoccupied, thinking about finding a space for the store." It was a plausible excuse. I didn't want Ranger to think I was resenting the pregnancy, because I wasn't. I was resenting all the changes I'd had to make, while he'd made none. I drained my glass of milk and forced my thoughts back to the present.

"Well, what I said, is we got to go to the ladies' room, right now!" Lula rolled her eyes toward the back of the restaurant. "Move your ass, Ranger, and let Stephanie up." Ranger's eyes widened, but he was silent as he stood to let me slide out of the booth. Lula grabbed my hand and led me at a slow trot to the restroom at the back of the restaurant.

"What is going on?" I asked her. "You're acting like a nut."

"I saw Joyce Barnhardt," she said. "She's here spying on you. She was wearing a trench coat and she had the collar turned up to hide her face. Just like in a James Bond movie. She was lookin' straight at you. She had her hair pulled up under a black hat, but I saw a strand of the red and there's no mistakin' that _Lady Clairol copperhead, number 86_. It's the exact color of that strand of red hair hanging off Ranger's shirt."

"What? That's crazy," I said. "I haven't seen Joyce since she got arrested for shooting at us. What would she be doing here? And why would her hair be on Ranger's shirt?"

"I surely don't know," Lula said. "But when I started staring back at her she ran down this hallway. She's hiding in the ladies' room and we're gonna go in and find out what's going on." Lula's hand shoved the door open and we walked inside. The stretch denim of her jeans was working at maximum capacity as she bent in half to look under the stalls.

"Hunh," she said, "All empty. She straightened up and pushed each door open to make sure the stalls were really empty. No Joyce. "How'd she get outta here?"

"It probably wasn't Joyce," I said. "She's not the only woman in Trenton with red hair. It must be someone who works in the kitchen. Come on. Let's get back to the table." We walked back to find our plates had been removed and the men were ready to leave.

"Well, I got to get back to work," Lula said. "Connie hardly ever calls in sick, so I'm not used to being in charge. You want to come back to the bonds office and keep me company this afternoon, Stephanie?"

I looked at Ranger. "You didn't have anything for me at RangeMan today, did you?"

"No, not today. Tomorrow I was hoping you'd ride with Howdy. He's got a couple of skips he's going after in the Burg. I thought you could be of help to him, with one in particular."

"I can do that," I said. The idea of spending the day informing Howdy about all the whys and wherefores of the Burg would be fun. And spending the afternoon with Lula would be fun, too. We missed working with one another, although, if I actually got the lingerie shop up and going, she insisted she'd be my right-hand woman.

Our lunch date had been impromptu. Lula and I were originally planning on eating with Connie. When she'd cancelled due to not feeling well, Tank and Ranger joined us. As the four of us walked from the restaurant, Ranger pulled me close to his side. My hand ran up his sleeve and I found the red hair. I sighed as I plucked it from his shirt. It wasn't Joyce Barnhart hair. "Spend some time with Howdy this morning?" I asked, my smile widening at his answering nod. Howdy was the newest addition to the RangeMan staff. His red corkscrew curls had earned him his nick-name, and he took the mild mannered teasing from the other merry men with a good nature.

"Your day is open today, so go have fun with Lula, but I do have plans for the evening," he said softly. "I'll swing by and pick you up about closing time. Or call me sooner if you want to leave. If I'm not available, someone will be by to get you."

"Okay," I said. "I thought we'd just stay in and have an early night."

"That's exactly what I'd planned," he said twisting my shoulders so we stood face to face. He lowered his head to mine and gave me a leisurely kiss. "Is it a date?"

I smiled up at him, but my response was interrupted by the sound of a loud horn. I looked to see Lula in her Firebird, one hand motioning me to come and the other impatiently blowing her horn. I sashayed over to the Firebird and slipped in buckling the belt beneath my growing belly.

We arrived at the bonds office to find it open and Connie sitting behind her desk. One hand was resting on the keyboard, the other idly moving the mouse back and forth. Her gaze was unfocused, her eyes casually scanning images on her monitor.

"Hey," Lula said. "I thought you were sick."

Connie's head turned toward us and I saw her pull her mind back from wherever she'd been.

"I'm feeling better now. I was just a little wobbly this morning. I couldn't seem to get my legs under me. I slept for a couple of hours and I felt good enough to come in. Vinnie is out of town until tomorrow, so I'm the only one who can write a bond, if need be."

I looked carefully at Connie as I plopped my ass down on the sofa. I knew exactly what it meant to feel wobbly in the morning, although my morning symptoms were decreasing now that I was well into my second trimester. "What kind of sick are you?" I asked. I knew things were hot and heavy with her and Bunchy.

She looked across the desk and smiled at me. "It's not morning sickness, if that's what you're thinking. I'm not pregnant. Bert can't have kids. I'm happy for you and Ranger, but no way would I want to be in your shoes."

Lula picked up a stack of files off the corner of Connie's desk. "Bunchy can't do the nasty?" she asked. "I'm glad I broke up with him and started seeing Tank again. Tank can be real nasty, and I like it."

"There's nothing wrong with Bert," Connie said in an exasperated voice. "He's had a vasectomy. He doesn't want children."

"I get it," Lula said. "His gun's fully loaded, but he shoots blanks."

"He shoots just fine," Connie said. "That's enough talk about Bert, and about me not feeling well. What about the little mama here? How're you doing, Steph?" she asked, effectively turning the conversation away from her love life.

"I'm fine," I said. "I'm not even thinking about getting ready for the baby. I'm just trying to figure out how to get my business off the ground. I need a location and a name and right now I've got neither."

"I may have some help for you," Connie said, picking up the phone and punching in a number with the end of her pencil.

"Hi, it's Connie. Stephanie is here in the office right now. Can you come over? Great." She disconnected and smiled.

"Who was that?" Lula asked.

"Do you remember Mary Maggie Mason?"

"Do I ever. She's the mud wrestler who lost my shoe, and she owns the bookstore across the alley." Lula frowned as she remembered her less than successful attempt at mud wrestling.

"Yeah," Connie said, "and she's moving her shop. Her business is doing so good that she's moving into the old Woolworths' store down the block. She owns the building across the alley and she's looking for a tenant."

The door opened and Mary Maggie Mason walked in. She was wearing fitted blue slacks and a white blouse. Her plain black leather shoes matched her belt. With her hair pulled back into a ponytail and tortoise shell glasses perched on her nose, she looked the part of bookseller. It was hard to remember that she'd almost drowned me in mud at the Snake Pit. I took a closer look at her. I could still see the remnants of the wrestler's body underneath the tailored confines of her slacks. She glanced around the room and stuck out her hand as her gaze settled on me.

"Stephanie, it's good to see you again." We shook hands. "I heard you were expecting. When are you due?"

"In about four and half months," I answered. "Connie said you're giving up your store?"

"Not giving it up, exactly. I'm moving to a bigger place. Business has been so good I'm expanding. I'll be opening at my new location in a week and the store across the alley is available immediately if you are interested."

I was interested. Ranger had agreed to provide start up money for a new business for me. It was going to be set up through a lawyer and all very business-like. That was my idea not his.

"Would you like to look at the store?" Mary Maggie asked. "It's almost empty so you'd get a good idea of the space."

"Sure," I said turning to Connie, "I'll be back in a while."

"Me too," Lula said, forgetting all about the filing. "Hey, Mary Maggie, are you retired from mud wrestling?"

"Yeah, I am," she replied. We were walking the short distance from the bonds office to the book store and Lula scurried around me to walk side-by-side with Mary Maggie.

"Why'd you give it up? Seems like there was good money in it."

"There was," Mary Maggie agreed. "I made enough to open this bookstore. I never planned to make a career out of it. It was just a means to an end. I got a call, just last week, asking me to wrestle again. Pinwheel Soba is re-opening the Snake Pit. I told them they'd have to find someone else. I sometimes miss the wrestling, but my bookstore is keeping me busy." I lagged behind as I listened to the conversation.

Mary Maggie glanced at Lula, and I saw her appraising Lula's outfit of bedazzled stretch-jeans and a red spandex tank top. Lula was a big woman, but she had an attitude that helped her carry off her skin-tight jeans and spandex.

"I could probably get you a gig, if you're interested. It can get rough though, especially if you're not a fan favorite."

"I'm real nice. I bet everyone would like me just fine. I'll think about it," Lula said.

I caught up to them at the door of the shop and waited while Mary Maggie unlocked the door. As the door swung open a cold shiver ran down my spine. I spun around, but didn't see anyone behind me. My spidey senses were kicking in, but there was absolutely nothing unusual going on. I made a quick scan up and down the street.

A dark green Jaguar pulled smoothly away from the curb at the end of the block and drove past the shop. The windows were tinted and I couldn't get a clear picture of the single occupant. I watched as the car drove down Hamilton Avenue and out of sight. I had no proof, but I knew the person in the green car had been watching me. And while I was used to having a merry man shadow, I didn't think RangeMan had anything to do with the green Jaguar.

"C'mon. Get in here and look at your new shop." Lula's fingers wrapped around my wrist and pulled my mind back to the present, as she pulled me into the empty store. "This is your future, Stephanie, and I'm going to help make your store as famous as Frederick's of Hollywood."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about," I said as I walked inside.

Part One: Bunch-a-Bunch of Burnin' Love

Chapter 2

Half an hour later, Lula and I opened the door to the bonds office. I had a key to the shop in my pocket and a plan to meet with Maggie and her attorney to sign a lease agreement within the week. I pulled out my cell and called Ranger.

"Yo."

"Hey, I found a shop location thanks to Connie. It's Mary Maggie Mason's old store, just across the alley from the bonds office. Do you know where I mean?"

"Yes, I'm familiar with the alley." Ranger humor.

I smiled. "Well, can you come and look at it when you pick me up later?"

"I can, but this is your business. It should be your decision."

"It will be," I said. "But I'd like your opinion."

"I'll look, Babe," and he disconnected. I'd been going to tell him about the green car, but the line was dead before I could get the words out. I shrugged and filed it away to share with him later in the evening. I turned to Connie. Her elbows were propped on the desktop with her chin resting in her hands.

"Connie, thanks for the help," I said. "That place will be perfect. Now all I need is a name."

"What about_ Unmentionables_?" Lula asked.

"No, I think that's taken."

"_Mentionables_?"

"I think that's taken, too." I said.

"Whispers?" Connie asked.

"Taken."

"Not Your Granny's Panties."

"Taken."

"Thongs R Us."

"Ugh!"

"Hunh, well it's not taken," Lula huffed.

"What about Stephanie's Secret?" Connie asked. "I think that's a good name."

"No," I said looking over at Connie. "I don't want my name on the shop, and it's sort of taken, too."

Connie's chin had slipped and she was cradling her head in her hands. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Maybe you should have taken the whole day off. You look pale."

"I'm okay, just tired. I haven't been sleeping much and it's starting to catch up with me."

"Why not," Lula demanded. "Bunchy been keeping you up all night?"

Connie hesitated. "Something like that."

Lula snorted. "What? Does he snore? You'd better get earplugs. A girl needs her beauty sleep."

"Lula," Connie said, irritation creeping into her voice. "Don't make fun of Bert. As a matter of fact, he _doesn't_ snore and he's, well…" Connie rolled her eyes and sighed. She straightened her posture and turned toward Lula. "He's a wild man in the bedroom," she said. "He's almost more than I can keep up with. It's got me worried. I haven't been in a relationship for awhile and it's taking a little getting used to." She clapped her hand over her mouth and her eyes widened in amazement over what had come out of it. Connie didn't share much about her personal life, so this news was big.

Lula's eyes widened too. "Bunchy? You saying Bunchy is a hunk of burnin' manhood?"

"Yes, that's what I'm saying," Connie said. "And usually, I'm happy about it. But last night… I passed out."

"Bunchy made you pass out?" Astonishment made Lula's voice crack. "How'd he do that?"

Connie looked for a long moment at Lula and then turned her attention toward me. "Do you guys have time for a little 'girl talk'?" she asked.

"Sure," I said. Connie, Lula and I were friends and they'd been there for me recently, when I was struggling with letting Ranger back into my life. If she was having trouble adjusting to a man in her life, I would be there for her. I'd known Bert Bronfman, aka Bunchy, longer than Connie, but I was thinking Connie knew him way better. It might be interesting to hear what she knew.

"He knows a secret sex trick," she blurted.

"Huh? Secret sex trick?" Lula's eyes narrowed as she considered it. She shook her head. "Un uh, I ain't buying it."

Connie shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just saying it was a new experience for me."

"No way," Lula said, shaking her head back and forth. "My former profession taught me just about all there was to know about secret sex tricks. And mostly, they don't exist. They're some of them urban legends, started by men who are trying to pick up women. I just don't believe it."

"I don't care if you believe it or not." Connie glared at Lula. "All I know is Bert's the only man who has made it happen like that for me. Maybe you don't know as much as you think you do."

The conversation was on the verge of becoming heated and against my better judgment I joined in.

"Lula knows all about making men happy," I told Connie. I turned to Lula. "But maybe there's a man out there that knows a thing or two most men don't, about making women happy." I smoothed my hand over my rounded belly and smiled thinking of my husband.

"Yeah," Lula said. "But Bunchy?" She turned to Connie. "How many times he make you sing the Halleluiah chorus?"

"How many times isn't important," Connie said. "It's more a case of how long I'm singing."

"How long?" Lula demanded.

"Almost an hour…before I passed out."

"Damn," Lula said.

"Damn," I said.

Lula rested her ass on the edge of Connie's desk. "How'd Bunchy learn a trick like that?" Connie rolled back her chair and looked into Vinnie's office. It was empty. She pulled open her desk drawer and rummaged around through pens, paperclips, and half-empty bottles of nail polish. She shoved the drawer shut and ran her fingers under the front edge of the desk. She sighed.

"I know Vinnie's got this place bugged. And even though he's out of town we can't talk here. Let's lock up for the day and go next door to look at your new shop, Steph. We can talk there."

Lula and I stood and watched while Connie shut down the computer and readied the office for closing. We made our way across the alley to my future lingerie shop. Connie was locking the door to the bonds office as I was unlocking the bookstore. Little bells jingled against the door as we opened it.

Mary Maggie Mason was almost completely moved to her new location. All that remained was the service desk, bare except for the small stack of used books sitting haphazardly on the far edge of the counter. The store had a faintly musty smell, which was reminiscent of the library. It wasn't an unpleasant smell, but it had the effect of reminding me how much work it was going to take to turn this empty space into my new shop.

Lula was anxious to hear the details from Connie. I was trying to act unconcerned, but I was curious in the way people are when they pass by a car wreck, and look when they know they shouldn't. I didn't need to know, but I was going to get the scoop anyway. Connie looked from side to side making sure we were the only three in the deserted space. She acted as though she was going to impart the secret for world peace.

"This is confidential. Before I can tell you, you have to promise to keep all this information to yourself."

Lula pointed her French-tipped nails to her chest and made a 'cross my heart' motion.

"Damn skippy, we'll keep this information quiet."

Once again, Connie scanned the empty room. I was starting to get very curious.

"Before Bert was in the FBI he used to be a spy. He was Special Forces sort of like Ranger and Tank."

"No!" Lula and I exclaimed in unison. Connie looked unsettled at our surprise.

"It's true," she insisted. "He did electronic surveillance. Bert spent two years in Eastern Europe. He gathered background information that made it possible for guys like Tank and Ranger to be successful on their missions. He was part of the team, just as much as the guys who work the ops. After he got out of the Army he went right to the FBI academy."

"Well that's interestin' and all," Lula said, "but what does it have to do with him bein' so studly you passed out? That's what I want to know."

"I'm getting there." Connie voice was hushed and Lula and I gathered in close to hear what I knew we shouldn't be listening to. "You can't tell anyone. I promised Bunchy. He could get in big trouble if this got out. It's called the Romanian Rapture. It's been passed down through generations of gypsies from the middle ages. It's like a secret weapon that certain men know about. It's related to the Venus Butterfly."

"Not the Venus Butterfly," Lula exclaimed.

"What's the Venus Butterfly?" I asked. They ignored me.

"Yes," Connie told Lula. "It's a variation. And almost all Special Forces guys know the secret. It's a rite of passage they share with one another. They're the elite part of the armed forces and they're the best at everything they do. It's a secret weapon they use to enslave their women."

My ears perked up. I'd heard Ranger use those words. He'd said, on the occasion of our first time together, that he didn't need handcuffs to enslave a woman. Was that because he knew about the Romanian Rapture?

"Ranger and Tank probably know all about it," Connie continued, as if she'd read my thoughts.

"Hmmm," Lula said, clearly giving this new information some thought. "I'm mighty satisfied with Tank, but you say an hour?" Connie nodded her head vigorously.

"Damn," Lula said.

"Damn," I said, still not entirely sure what we were talking about.

The bells above the door jingled and we turned to see Bert walk in. "Here you are," he said. "I went to the bonds office and saw it was all locked up. I thought I'd missed you."

He walked to Connie's side and leaned down to give her a peck on the cheek. Lula's eyes were scanning Bert from head to foot and everywhere in between. She made a slow circle, checking him out from all angles. He looked uncomfortably from Lula to Connie.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked.

"Nah, "Connie said, making a surreptitious zipper sign across her lips. I got the message. Lula missed it. She continued staring at Bert, muttering under her breath.

"Let's go, Bert," Connie said, grabbing her purse in one hand and Bert in the other. As she pulled him toward the door she shot a warning look at Lula and said, "Remember girls, what happens in this shop, stays in this shop." She pointed a finger at me. "And that's why you're gonna name it Stephanie's Secret."

Lula turned to me as they left the shop. "It's hot in here and not just from the sunshine comin' in the window. You think she's telling the truth? Bunchy just don't look like he's got it in him."

"I don't know," I picked up a tattered book off the stack on the counter and thumbed through it idly. My mind was swirling back to the time Ranger and I'd first made love. I'd been nervous, because I knew we weren't in the same league, experience wise. "I don't know why she'd lie." I realized I was holding a well worn copy of a literary classic, _The Scarlett Letter_, and I smiled. "You know what they say. You can't judge a book by its cover."

"Hunh," Lula shook her head. "Sometimes, when your nose itches, it feels real good to sneeze, if you know what I mean. But an hour of sneezing? It would make it pretty hard to catch your breath. I guess I might pass out too."

The bells above the door jingled again and Lula and I turned to see Ranger and Tank enter the shop. They were both dressed in RangeMan black. Two hard bodies that looked like they could deliver exactly what they promised.

Lula looked at me and said, "Some books are just like their covers." She advanced on Tank and punched him in the shoulder making Tank look down at her in surprise. Ranger, astutely sensing trouble, walked to my side and put his arm around my shoulders.

"I got two words for you, _Pierre_," she said, her words tumbling out with a speed and volume that showed her agitation. "Romanian Rapture and Venus Butterfly. You heard them words before?"

I saw Tank's eyes widen in surprise and Ranger's attention focus on the conversation.

"You know what I'm talking about, Tankie?"

"Uh, well, yeah, I do."

"Well how comeI don't know what I'm talking about?" she demanded. "What's holdin' you back?"

"I, uh, geez…where'd you hear about that?"

"It makes no never mind where I _heard_ about it. When am I gonna _see_ it?" She punctuated her words with her finger. Tank grabbed her hand before she could assault his chest again. "The Romanian Rapture," she said. "You ever been to Romania?"

Tank had a deer in the headlights look. He shot a quick look at Ranger who was fighting to keep his blank face on. I saw the blank face too, but I also saw the small lip twitch that meant he was thinking about smiling.

Tank leaned down, his lips near Lula's ear. "I was saving it for our anniversary, baby." His whisper echoed through the nearly empty store.

"Hunh. Which anniversary is that? I think it's the anniversary of something today. C'mon, we need to leave. My nose is itchin' something fierce." She grabbed his arm and dragged him through the door.

I turned to look at Ranger. He took a step backward, raising his hands, palms out. "Babe, I don't think it would be safe for a pregnant woman."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I use them for fun and not profit**

Part One: Bunch-a-Bunch of Burnin' Love

Chapter 3

The ringing of my cell phone woke me the next morning. My hand groped for the phone on the nightstand. Without opening my eyes to check the caller ID, I grabbed the phone and grumbled a hello. Mornings have never been my best time and pregnancy didn't change that.

"You still in bed?" Lula asked. "I thought you'd be up. I've been up for hours. You won't believe what I have to tell you."

"What?" I asked, thinking if she started describing a personal experience with the Romanian Rapture I'd hang up. I reached over to Ranger's side of the bed to find it empty. Like most mornings he was already in the gym before I even woke up. I turned my attention to Lula and her news.

"Pinwheel Soba, himself, called me last night. He wants me to be his new star attraction at the Snake Pit. Mary Maggie recommended me."

"You're not really considering it, are you?" I said, rolling over and stretching.

"Damn skippy, I am. I'm gonna do it. I need the money. Ever since you quit bringing in skips I haven't had anybody to assist. I been living on a file clerk's salary and Vinnie don't pay me near enough. I'm gonna supplement my income until I go to work for you."

"What's Tank think about it?"

"I ain't telling Tank. He and me presently aren't speaking."

"Again?" I asked. "This doesn't have anything to do with the Romanian Rapture, does it?"

"It might. Did you talk to Ranger about it?"

"No, I didn't know how to bring it up."

"Oh, I think you know how to bring it up. Otherwise you wouldn't be in the condition you're in. That was one of them double entendres. It was a good one, too. I gotta go, Stephanie. I gotta start thinking up a stage name." There was a click and my phone was dead.

Lula's teasing made me remember the evening before. We'd spent a quiet but extremely enjoyable evening alone in the apartment. There'd been no urgent phone calls about break-ins or other security breaches and I had Ranger's full attention. I realized I'd forgotten to tell him about the green Jaguar and my feeling I was being watched. It seemed kind of silly to mention it, now. Maybe it was just a surge of pregnancy hormones and not spidey sense at all.

My full bladder kept me from staying in bed any longer. I dragged myself out of bed and went to the bathroom to take care of morning business. This was Ranger's original bathroom. Our apartment had been expanded to more than double the original size a couple of months ago. We kept the same bedroom, but now had two others, one of which would be the nursery.

The nursery. I pushed the thought of the unfinished room out of my mind before I could begin worrying about baby furniture. There was still plenty of time. I pulled off the RangeMan t-shirt I'd been sleeping in and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

My belly definitely had a rounded contour and yet I wasn't quite half way through the pregnancy. I twisted and turned trying to see my backside. Most of my pregnancy weight was in my tummy. From the back I didn't look that much different. I turned back around and looked at my breasts. I put my hands under them and pushed up giving myself cleavage. I was still no competition for Connie, but I was noticeably larger.

I ran my fingertips lightly over my nipples. They were definitely more sensitive. I felt a little tingle skitter through me and looked up to see Ranger standing in the doorway. He was shirtless, wearing black sweatpants low on his hips. His skin was glistening with sweat from his morning workout. His eyes were dark with dilated pupils. I knew the look and I reveled in it. He came up behind me and placed his hands on mine supporting my breasts. His thumbs gently flicked my nipples and I leaned back against him giving him easier access.

"I thought I'd satisfied your every desire last night," I teased. "And here you are wanting more."

"I'll always want more," he said as he turned me into his arms. "Let's take a shower and I'll show you exactly what I want."

He released me long enough to step out of his sweatpants and pulled me back against him. I let him pull me close loving the feel of his hard body against mine.

"Okay," I said, "And then maybe you can show me the Romanian Rapture."

Ranger stilled. I looked up at him. "Is it real?" I asked.

"I've heard it is," he said.

"You don't know it? You're not experienced at it?"

"Babe, am I not satisfying you?"

I blushed. He knew darn good and well how much he satisfied me. "I just wondered if what Connie told us was real."

"I don't know what Connie told you. I've never been into gimmicks or tricks in the bedroom. I prefer honest communication of wants and needs, and if you need more than I'm giving, you should tell me."

I could feel my cheeks flushing. We'd been married for months and our sex life was very mutually fulfilling, but I hated talking about it. I could show Ranger what I wanted, but he was more than good at figuring it out for himself. I looked up to see Ranger smiling. Not just a grin. I was being shown the full-on two-hundred watt smile. He knew I was embarrassed and he loved every moment of it.

"Ass," I said, as I took his hand and pulled him into the shower with me.

An hour later the Romanian Rapture had been pushed to a back corner of my mind. We were dressed and eating our normal breakfast of fresh fruit and bagels. I longed for a donut. My avoidance of my usual breakfast of Boston Crèmes wasn't anyone's idea but my own. I knew I had to eat healthy and wanted to do so. I wanted to give this baby every prenatal advantage I could. But I kept thinking about the Tasty Pastry, remembering the sweet scent of the air and the wonderful aroma of baking bread.

I was convinced Ranger really could read my mind. Either that or I was thinking out loud again. He watched as I finished the last piece of fruit on my plate. His hand reached out and closed around mine.

"Moderation is good, Babe. Abstinence isn't necessary. You can have the occasional jelly donut. I don't like to see you so miserable."

"I'm not miserable," I grumbled, "and I can do this for the next few months." I looked at Ranger and tears filled my eyes. This was a fairly common occurrence ever since the pregnancy test had read positive. "What if my metabolism goes away? What if my mother is right and I can never eat donuts again? What if I have to give up sweets f-f-forever?" I was wailing by the time I spewed out my last word. Ranger pulled me up and away from the table and wrapped his arms around me. He held me close and let me sob.

I felt his hands in my hair as he gently pulled my head back. His expression was serious and I knew my hormonal out-bursts were upsetting him.

"Babe, you live a few floors above a well equipped gym. Anytime you feel the need to work off a jelly donut, or meatball sub, or quart of Ben and Jerry's you only have to walk through the door. Anybody there is willing to help you set up a training program. Your metabolism isn't some magic force keeping the fat calories at bay, and if pregnancy changes it, you can still control it."

I knew his words were meant to calm me, but they didn't. I was upset, though I knew it was irrational and unfounded. I tamped it down as best I could and decided to change the subject.

"When am I supposed to meet with Howdy?"

"After lunch. He's looking for Ziggy Garvey. He's not dangerous, but he's wiley. I thought you'd be of help. Ziggy has a soft spot for you. He might be easier for Howdy to find if you were with him."

I remembered Ziggy. I had a soft spot for him, and his best friend Benny Colluci. They brought me strawberry jam and peanut brittle. "What did Ziggy do?" I asked.

"He was arrested after a lodge meeting. DUI. And carrying concealed. He missed his court date and Vinnie wants him found."

This was small potatoes for RangeMan. It's the type of skip I'd have been assigned by Vinnie before I quit. I'm sure Ranger could make better use of Howdy's time. But Ranger was taking care of my family just as he'd promised me he would, and as much as I hated to admit it, Vinnie was family. Tears seeped from my eyes again. I'd married such a good man. I heard a sigh as his arms came back around me to hold me through the next wave of tears. Being pregnant was a hard thing for me, and maybe for Ranger, too.

Ranger eventually left me to my own devices for the rest of the morning. I took my time getting ready. I was able to accommodate my ever expanding figure by wearing black stretchy yoga pants and a RangeMan t-shirt. I scooped my hair into a pony-tail and grabbed a black windbreaker. I was ready to spend the afternoon helping Howdy ferret out Ziggy.

I had a few ideas that might help us find him, but I needed fresh Intel. I called my mom.

"Howdy and I are looking for Ziggy Garvey," I said. "Can you help me?"

"I haven't heard anything about Ziggy for a couple of weeks," my mom said. "Let me make a few calls and I'll get back to you."

"That'd be great, but don't worry about calling me back. Howdy and I will just stop by this afternoon to see if you found out anything."

"Are you still bounty hunting? I thought you quit working for Vinnie. I can't believe Carlos is happy about you working for Vinnie. Not in your condition."

"I'm not working for Vinnie," I told her. "I'm working for RangeMan. And I'm not bringing in skips. I'm using you to get information so Howdy can bring in Ziggy. And if you help me, then you're working for RangeMan too." I disconnected, and left my mother to ponder that scenario.

I left the apartment and went down to five. I wanted to touch base with Ranger before I left with Howdy. His office was empty. I turned to go to the break room and ran into Tank. "Sorry," I said, looking up into a surly face. "I was looking for my husband. Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah," he growled. "He's out overseeing a major system installation. He won't be back for a couple of hours." He didn't seem to be in the mood to talk and I didn't know exactly what I'd ask, anyway. I knew, eventually, I'd get the Lula version.

I walked into the break room and saw a nice tight ass sticking out of the refrigerator. For the moment it was anonymous and I enjoyed the view. I was pregnant and married, but not dead. As the unknown merry man backed slowly away from the fridge I caught a glimpse of orange hair.

"Hey," I said as Howdy's upper body came into view. "I was looking for you. Ranger asked me to ride along with you today. Your FTA is a Burger and I might be able to help you find him."

"That's great," Howdy said. "But I was going to grab a sandwich first. I haven't had lunch yet."

"Okay," I said, ambling up to the fridge. "I'll have one, too. What did Ella give us today?"

"Turkey, on whole wheat."

"Oh." My enthusiasm dimmed a little. "I'm hungry all the time since I got pregnant and I'm trying to eat healthy, but turkey isn't going to do it for me today. What about stopping in at Pino's?"

"I'm not really in the mood for Pino's" he said. He slammed his big meaty hand down on the table and grinned.

"Hey, I just moved in on four," Howdy said, his eyes widening with a sudden idea. "Come downstairs and let me fix you a 'Howdy' special."

"What's a 'Howdy' special?" I asked, thinking it already sounded more appealing than turkey on whole wheat.

"You'll see."

I followed Howdy out of the break room and down the stairs to four. I thought briefly about the elevator, but I needed the exercise. I had a feeling the 'Howdy' special was going to put a crimp in my healthy eating plan. Once again I realized how pregnancy had changed my life. Lula was in search of the Romanian Rapture, and I was excited about a 'Howdy' special and I wasn't quite sure what either one consisted of.

The apartments on four were all small with well planned spaces. One was very much like the other. Howdy apparently hadn't had much time to decorate his space, as the apartment was free from any personal effects.

The kitchenette was compact and Howdy filled it up, so I sat on a barstool and let him fix me lunch. He moved with surprising efficiency for a man of his size.

"You're starting out right," I said as he pulled a loaf of nutritionally deficient white bread out of the cupboard. He slathered two slices of bread with a thick coat of mayonnaise.

He smiled at me. "A 'Howdy' special is the perfect thing for lunch on the go because it's a sandwich and dessert, all rolled up into one. There is a special order for all the ingredients to go on the bread. You start with a slice of cheese. I like American, but you can use any kind you have handy." Good to know.

"Then you add a slice of bologna. You can use the low fat, or the turkey, but all I have today is regular ole bologna. Will that be okay for you?"

I nodded my head yes, thinking he sounded like he was hosting his own food network show. I was getting excited, but at the same time I felt a little guilty. This sandwich was going to be unique, but not as healthy as the turkey and whole wheat waiting one floor up. After the bologna was layered on top of the cheese, Howdy took the lid off his cookie jar and pulled out four Oreo cookies. I was seeing it, but I almost didn't believe it. He twisted the cookies apart and laid two cookies on each sandwich, cream filling up. The whole thing was topped off with another mushy slice of white bread. He pulled a huge knife out of the block and cut the sandwiches into two perfect triangles.

"Do you want me to trim your crust?" he asked.

"Nah," I said. I reached out and picked up one of the sandwich halves. Howdy watched as I took a big bite. "It's delicious," I said. And it was. The tang of the mayonnaise, the salt of the bologna and the delicious sweetness of the Oreos all combined to make me happy. We ate in companionable silence until Howdy asked, "Do you want another?"

I thought about shaking my head no, but a momentary flash of Ranger saying abstinence wasn't necessary led me to say, "Yes, please."

I'd been trying to eat healthy and with Ella cooking for Ranger and me I was pretty successful. I needed to assuage the guilt I felt about eating two 'Howdy' specials, so I ate a pickle spear and some chips. That was two servings of vegetables.

Part One: Bunch-a-Bunch of Burnin' Love

Chapter 4

Howdy and I were developing a nice friendship. I thought we had a lot in common. We both had outrageously curly hair and we both had spidey sense. I'd learned the hard way to trust in Howdy's spidey sense. If I'd paid more attention to his feelings of unease a couple of months earlier I wouldn't have found myself laying on the ground between two sets of railroad tracks and two speeding locomotives, but that's a different story.

The really interesting thing about Howdy was Ranger liked him too. I'd been kidnapped on Howdy's watch. Merry men had been sent to remote outposts for lesser infractions. Ranger hadn't punished Howdy at all and he'd continued to put Howdy on Stephanie duty. I think Ranger liked the idea of our friendship. I was close to all the merry men and in some way it made Howdy seem more like one of the guys and less of a newcomer.

"Thanks for lunch," I told him as we exited his apartment. "I'll return the favor someday. Have you ever had a peanut butter and olive sandwich?"

"No, but it sounds interesting. I'd like to make the special occasion version of the 'Howdy' special for you sometime, too." He locked his door and pocketed his keys and we began to walk down the hallway.

"What's different about the special occasion version?" I asked.

"That's when you put the potato chips right in the sandwich. It's great for when you have to have lunch on the go."

I stopped with my mouth hanging open. "That's genius," I said, and then I started back down the hall with a little spring in my step. As we turned the corner to head down the stairs to the garage, Lester came barreling up the stairs so quickly he almost knocked me over. He looked up in surprise and swerved to miss running into me head on.

"Hey there, beautiful, what are you doing slumming down here on four?"

"Stephanie and I just had lunch in my apartment." Howdy said. "We had..."

"One of Ella's turkey and whole wheat sandwiches," I interrupted. "Right, Howdy?"

"Uh, yeah, we had, uh, one of Ella's sandwiches."

"Well, I hope you left one for me," Lester said as he hurried down the hall toward his apartment. "I haven't eaten yet and I plan on raiding the refrigerator upstairs shortly."

As Lester entered his apartment, I turned to Howdy and said, "Howdy, this special lunch has to stay our secret, understand? No one can know about… what we shared, okay?"

"Sure, Steph," he replied, but the expression on his face told me he didn't understand at all. I looked to the bottom of the stairwell where Vince and Cal stood and the expression on their faces said they understood something completely different. They looked up the stairs at me and back at each other shaking their heads. "No way, man," Cal muttered.

I rolled my eyes and ignored them as Howdy and I passed them and made our way to the garage.

My grandmother was waiting at the door of my parents' house when Howdy and I arrived. That was unusual because she no longer lived there. She and her new hubby, Osbaldo, were officially living outside the Burg in a penthouse apartment in downtown Trenton. She gave me a big hug as Howdy held the door open for me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I don't see Osbaldo's car."

"He and your dad are out running some errands while your mom and I have some quality mother-daughter time. Now we can have grandmother-mother-daughter time." She nodded to Howdy and gave his backside a look as he passed by. Her pinching days were over. As a newlywed, Osbaldo gave her all the hands-on time she needed.

My mother came into the room. "I thought I heard your voice, Stephanie. Hello, Mr. Howdy. Please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? Or are you hungry? I have a pound cake."

"That sounds great, Mrs. Plum. I'd love a piece of cake."

My mom turned to me. "What about you, Stephanie, would you like something to drink and a piece of cake?" My mouth was watering. I knew it wasn't just pound cake. It was an Entenmanns'.

I remembered the 'Howdy' special. I remembered moderation. I sighed. "We had lunch not too long ago," I said. "I'm still full, so I'll pass this time."

My mother raised her eyebrows and looked pointedly at my belly as if to say, "Good thing you're watching your diet," but wisely she remained silent. She left the room and returned quickly with a glass of iced tea and a huge slice of buttery pound cake, marbled with dark chocolate fudge. I was so engrossed in watching Howdy demolish the slice I didn't realize at first she was talking.

"…that's why we think the best bet would be to stake out Elaine Barkolowski's house."

"Elaine Barkolowski's house?" I asked surprised. Elaine was a friend of Grandma's and she was known to be a swinger within the single senior's community, but I thought she'd be hands off for Ziggy. He was happily married. I said as much to my mother.

Grandma Mazur said in a hushed voice, "Not any more, he ain't. There's trouble in the relationship. He and his wife are separated, and he's been keeping company with Elaine. You know where she lives over on Chestnut Street. If you go knock on her door you'll find Ziggy."

Howdy finished his cake and we headed off for Ziggy's house. I figured Mom and Grandma were right, but maybe we'd get lucky and he'd be home. I'd rather find him at home than pull him out of an illicit love nest. We pulled in front of his house and there was a car in the driveway. I opened the door, but before I could slide out Howdy's hand clamped around my forearm.

"Ranger said you're just a passenger today. You stay here and let me go. He's not likely to resist in front of his wife." I made no comment. I was stunned that I'd been confined to the seat by Ranger. And as far as resisting went, Ziggy's wife probably didn't even know he was arrested. Howdy knocked on the door which was opened almost immediately by someone I assumed was Mrs. Garvey. She was short, plump and rosy cheeked, the polar opposite of Ziggy. After a short conversation Howdy headed back to the car.

"She said he is out with his friend, Benny," Howdy said. I ignored him. I was still pouting from being restricted to the passenger seat. I'm just not a passenger seat kind of girl.

We headed to Elaine's house. I recognized the blue sedan in the driveway as Benny Colluci's car. Benny and Ziggy were best friends and they shared a lot, but I hoped they weren't sharing Elaine. Yeesh!

We parked a half a block away and settled in to wait, both of us preferring to grab Ziggy as he left. Howdy reached into the console and pulled out a dog-eared crossword puzzle book. He handed it to me.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"It passes time," he said. "I'll keep my eyes on the house and you can do the crossword and ask me for help with the ones you don't know."

"That might be most of them," I replied. I'd never spent much time doing crosswords, but Howdy was right. It did help the time pass quickly.

"What's a six letter word for coffeehouse cup?" I asked him.

He thought for a moment. "Grande," he said pleased with himself.

"No, it won't work. The fourth letter is a 'j'."

He thought for a moment longer. Our eyes met and we smiled at each other as we both said, "tip jar!" I wrote it down and started trying to fill in answers around it. It was fun.

The time passed quickly for me, but I thought maybe it wasn't going so quickly for Howdy. He kept turning in his seat, looking out the back window and checking the mirrors.

"You're kind of antsy," I said. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, probably nothing." Howdy's eyes never stopped searching the landscape as he spoke. "I know Ziggy Garvey is inside that house, but I can't shake the feeling we're on someone's radar." I set down the crossword and started looking with him. I didn't see anything unusual, but I would never discount Howdy's feelings. Doing so once before had almost cost me my life.

"Uh oh," Howdy said. "We might have more than we bargained for." I looked back toward the house, following his line of vision. Three men were walking out of Elaine's house toward the blue sedan and I knew all three.

"I can't believe it," I said. "I thought he was still in the pen." Howdy looked inquiringly at me. "It's Eddie DeChooch," I told him.

"Is one of them Ziggy Garvey?" Howdy asked.

"Yeah, the tall skinny one," I replied as my hand went for the door. "C'mon, let's go get him."

"Sorry, Steph" Howdy opened his door and said, "Ranger made it clear you were just to ride along. No apprehending for you."

"It's okay," I told him. "They like me." I opened the door and slid out before he could respond. He had a decision to make. He could let me approach them or haul me back to the car and risk losing his skip. I heard his door slam shut and I knew he'd be close behind me.

"Hey guys," I hollered waving my hand as they looked down the block. They stopped short of getting in their car and watched me walk toward them. My gait hadn't quite slipped into a pregnant waddle yet, but I was definitely feeling the extra weight. I put my hand on my belly in a protective gesture as I hurried down the block.

Benny came forward to take my hands in his. "Stephanie, I hear congratulations are in order. First you marry Ranger, and now you're in a family way. You're a good Burg girl. You do things in the right order."

I rolled my eyes. If only you knew, I thought.

Eddie DeChooch was less friendly with his greeting. "I ain't got no warrants, whadaya want?"

"I don't want anything," I said. "I'm just along for the ride." I turned and pulled Howdy up next to me. Most times he was a big, happy, lovable guy, but he was in scary merry man mode now. His expression was grim and his freckles stood out against the paleness of his face. His body was tense and ready for action and all three men could see it. Ziggy was slowly backing away from the group.

"Give it up, Ziggy," I said. "Howdy is a nice guy. Don't try to get away from him. He'll take you down and get you rebonded. If Eddie and Benny follow us down they may be able to get you home in time for dinner."

"He ain't gonna be arrested by no woman," Eddie said.

"No, he's not," Howdy said in a serious tone. "I'm going to take him in." He turned to look at Ziggy. "It can be easy or hard, Mr. Garvey. Your choice, but I will bring you in this afternoon."

Ziggy took a good, long look at Howdy. The wind was ruffling his red corkscrew curls, but other than that he was unmoving. A large mass of potential energy dressed in RangeMan black. Ziggy stuck his hands forward and Howdy pulled a pair of cuffs from the utility belt at his waist. The click of the cuffs sounded and both men started to walk back to the SUV.

Benny and Eddie turned to get into the blue sedan. Eddie DeChooch looked over at me and said, "We didn't give ya no trouble, 'cause you're married to Ranger. I wouldn't want him to come after me for hurting his pregnant wife." I watched them drive away as I walked back to the SUV. I didn't miss bounty hunting much at all.

Howdy drove a silent Ziggy down to the cop shop. I stayed in the car and worked on the crossword puzzle. I didn't think about Morelli and his new life and wife in Cincinnati much, but I wondered, as I waited, how he was doing. After a while I forgot about Morelli and focused on the crossword puzzle. I did a fist pump as I filled in a seven letter word for Italian dessert.

I stuffed the puzzle book in my purse as Howdy got back in the car. Instead of turning left to head back to RangeMan, we turned right.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I'm following the car in front of us," he said. "Once again, it's probably nothing, but it pulled away from the curb as soon as I came out of the station, and it was parked illegally. I think whoever was inside may have been watching us."

The car in front of us was a white Chevy with flaking paint and a trunk that was wired shut. "I can't make out the license number," I told Howdy. "The wire wrapped around the bumper to hold the trunk shut is in the way."

"Not that car," Howdy said. "The one two cars in front of it. Shit!" The height of the SUV made it possible to see two cars ahead. The car was green and had pulled out of the lane of traffic to turn into an underground parking lot. Howdy pulled out of traffic and followed, coming to a sharp halt when the gate to the parking garage stayed down.

"This is a private lot," he said. "I can't get in without a card. I don't think Ranger would want me to park and go after the car on foot when you're with me. It may not even have been following us, but I'll report it to Ranger anyway."

"What kind of a car was it?" I asked, knowing what his answer would be.

"It was a Jaguar. An XKE. They haven't made that model since the early seventies. Maybe it will be easy to trace, even without a license number."

A small knot of dread flipped in my stomach. "It's me," I said. "I saw the same green car parked in front of the bonds office yesterday, and I had the same feeling you've been having today." Howdy didn't say anything. He just reached out and squeezed my hand.

We went back to Haywood where he turned in the body receipt to Tank, who would then turn it into Connie. I looked over at him. Howdy was still pristine, no shots had been fired and he'd got his man. He was competent. Okay, I'd helped a little, but he would have been just fine on his own. All in all, I was excited to be opening a lingerie shop. Bond enforcement belonged to my past. Unfortunately it seemed being stalked was still part of my present.

*seven letter word for Italian dessert-_cannoli_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I have had to change my review habits due to the foibles of FF and I sincerely hope I haven't missed anyone. If so it was purely unintentional. The NaNo contest is over Wednesday and I am, of course, behind on my word count, so my review responses may be a little slow, but I will respond! As always I use them for fun, not profit.**

Part Two: Crosswords

Chapter 5

I entered the apartment and went to the kitchen to find Ella leaving the evening meal. I was a lucky woman. My fairy godmother came every day and stocked my refrigerator and cupboards with food. Today's delivery was roasted chicken with asparagus. It looked delicious and it would be warming in the oven until Ranger and I ate. By the time he was home the apartment would be filled with the aroma of roasted chicken and that was a good thing. Wistfully, I looked for mashed potatoes and gravy, but they were nowhere to be found. There was a fresh salad and whole grain rolls, but there was no dessert. Ella understood my cravings for dessert and she also understood my resolution to eat healthy throughout my pregnancy. I thanked her for her evening offering and she left me to set the table and wait for my husband.

I ambled to the refrigerator and pulled the freezer door open. Low-fat, reduced-sugar frozen yogurt was as close as I was going to get to dessert tonight. I'd had two 'Howdy' specials for lunch and that should have taken care of my junk food cravings, but maybe it made them worse. Was I a junk food-oholic? Did one taste lead to a binge? Was there a twelve step program for sugar addicts? I had to get a grip. I found my purse and pulled out the crossword puzzle book and tried to concentrate on anything but dessert.

When I heard the apartment door open half an hour later, I shoved the puzzle book back into my purse and went to greet Ranger. He was frowning and seemed preoccupied when I saw him emptying his pockets into the silver tray on the credenza. I walked close to him and he reached out and drew me to him for a short perfunctory kiss before he walked into the bedroom. I stood and watched as he divested himself of two guns and a knife. It was a reminder I'd not married an average man.

"Did you have a rough day?" I asked.

"Yes," he responded somewhat tersely. "We have a new account, a very important one, and the installation of the security system isn't going smoothly."

"Who's the client?" I asked.

"O'Malley and Sons Construction. They're new to Trenton, but they have a huge operation in Boston. In fact, the O'Malley account is the largest revenue producer for RangeMan Boston. They are going to staff the Trenton business with local employees, but the Boston management team will be in town until the new office is up and running." He glanced over at me as he unzipped his pants and hooked his thumbs in the waistband. "Do I have enough time for a quick shower before dinner?"

"Yes," I said, feeling the vaguest tickle of irritation. When did it become my responsibility to have dinner waiting for him? Our marriage was not defined by the traditional roles my parents had adopted. We were equals. Why didn't he ask me to get in the shower with him? Then we could have both shared in the final dinner preparations. I heard the water running and realized he had gotten into the shower while I'd stood lost in thought. I shook off my unease and went to set the table and serve Ella's meal. Ranger was in an odd mood tonight. I'd had plenty of odd moods lately, so I guess he was due a mood of his own.

Ranger remained silent for most of the meal. I sensed he was on edge and the smart thing to do was to let it pass. I cleared the table and he got up to help load the dishwasher. After I wiped down the counter top I opened the freezer door and took another look. Still the same yogurt. A quart of Ben and Jerry's hadn't magically appeared.

I found Ranger in the living room sitting in the big overstuffed leather chair with his eyes closed.

"Do you have a headache?"I asked. His eyes opened and he stared directly at me.

"Yes."

"Can I get you something for it?"

"No." He closed his eyes and let his head drop back on the chair.

"Ranger," I hesitated because I was going to ask a question I didn't want the answer to. "Are you upset with me?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

"No."

I didn't know what to think. Why would he be upset with me? I had an inkling. I remembered Cal and Vince at the bottom of the stairs. Surely they didn't tattle on me. There was no way they could know what was going on in Howdy's apartment, but that could present a whole new problem.

"Is this about me being in Howdy's apartment?" I asked.

An eyebrow lifted in surprise. "I didn't know you were in Howdy's apartment. Why were you?"

"I, uh we, he was showing it to me. He just moved in last week. A couple of the guys saw us and gave us funny looks. I thought maybe you were upset by that." Oh. My. Gosh. I'd just lied to my husband. Was hiding poor eating habits a sign of food addiction? My stomach did a flip-flop. Get a grip, Stephanie!

"Babe, when were you going to tell me you've picked up another stalker?" Uh oh. Ranger thought I was hiding something from him. I was, but it wasn't what he was thinking.

"I tried to tell you yesterday," I said, "but you hung up on me. And then I was going to tell you last night, but I forgot. It was an honest mistake. I'm not even sure it's a stalker. It could just be a coincidence. I don't understand why you're angry with me. It's not my fault if someone's following me around."

"I'm not angry with you because of the stalker, Stephanie, but I think it's something we need to take seriously. I'm perturbed because you disobeyed orders. A pregnant woman, any pregnant woman, let alone my wife, has no business going after a skip. It's dangerous."

He was upset because I'd gotten out of the car at Elaine Barkolowski's house. I was upset because I'd only gone along with Howdy as a favor to Ranger.

"I didn't go after a skip," I informed him, my shoulders back and my chin thrust forward. "I merely got out of the car to talk to Ziggy and Benny. They're old friends of mine and they're harmless. Howdy cuffed Ziggy and took him to the police station. I didn't even get out of the car at the cop shop."

"And that's all there was to it?" Ranger asked.

I should have said yes. I should have been conciliatory, but I was a little ticked. I'd been helping one of his men out, for Pete's sake.

"I saw Eddie DeChooch today, too," I told Ranger. "It made me think of the debt I used to owe you."

Ranger raised an eyebrow daring me to continue, so I did.

"You know, the debt I owed you that made me sleep with you, to settle our account." I was trying hard to get a reaction from my husband. I was cranky. He'd come home from a long day at work and scolded me. I wasn't some recalcitrant child. I was his wife and I didn't like the way he'd talked to me.

"There was no debt, Babe."

"What?" I sputtered. "Of course there was a debt. You said you wouldn't help me capture DeChooch if I didn't sleep with you."

"No, I didn't."

"You did!"

Ranger stood and turned away from me, but I saw the eye roll. "What I said was if I helped you, I'd collect on the debt."

"That's the same thing," I harrumphed.

"No, it's not. It was a ploy."

This conversation wasn't getting better.

"You're saying you tricked me into going to bed with you?"

"No, I'm saying I offered you a way to have what you wanted, without succumbing to irrational guilt over Morelli."

"So, you did trick me."

"Babe, before you start blowing steam out your ears, let me say, I regret it." The conversation had started out with me trying to ruffle his withdrawn demeanor. Now I was finding myself about to lose my temper.

"You regret you went to bed with me?"

"I regret that I ever thought it could be just physical with us. If I'd admitted my feelings for you things might have turned out a little differently."

"What's wrong with the way things turned out?"

He turned back and started walking toward me. "Nothing is wrong. Everything is right, but if I hadn't been so stubborn this all might have happened a lot sooner." My anger dissipated and those darn pregnancy hormones made my eyes leak.

Ranger gathered me into an embrace and I lifted my face to him. His lips found mine and I forgot about Eddie DeChooch, the lack of dessert, and about my guilt over my little white lie.

An hour later I was energized. Pregnant sex was better than prenatal vitamins. I looked over at Ranger who was in a post-coital fog that was bordering on comatose. I'd done my job well. I hopped from bed and went in search of my purse and the crossword puzzle book. He was still in 'relaxed' mode when I got back into bed.

I worked diligently for five minutes before I turned to him and said "What's a four letter word for Ukrainian River?"

He lifted his head off the pillow and frowned. "You're doing a crossword puzzle?"

"Yeah, it's Howdy's book and I want to finish the puzzle before I give it back to him."

Ranger mumbled something incomprehensible.

"What?"

"Prut."

"What?"

"Ukrainian river. P-r-u-t." He reached out and grabbed me pulling me close against him. The puzzle book went flying out of my hand to land with a thump on the floor.

"Hey," I said. "I need to write that answer down."

"Tomorrow," he growled kissing the back of my neck. His voice tickled my ear. "Right now I've got another four letter word in mind." I guess coma time was over.

The next morning I was sitting at the breakfast bar making a to-do list for the day. Ranger had already spent an hour in the gym and was back and out of the shower. He came into the kitchen and went to the fridge to pour a glass of juice. He glanced my way.

"Still working on the crossword, Babe?"

"No, I'm working on a list of everything I need to do today, but wait a minute." I dropped the pen and went in search of the puzzle book. As I came back into the kitchen I asked, "What was the name of that river?"

"The Prut River," Ranger said.

"It fits. How do you know this stuff?"

His eyes hardened, "I've spent time in that river, more than I wanted to. With my buddy who was a SEAL. It's not one of my favorite memories."

"The friend that gave you the hat?" I asked

"Yeah," Ranger set his juice glass down and I knew that was all the information I was going to get. I looked back down at the puzzle changing the subject. "You're pretty good at this. I knew the last letter was a 't', but I've never heard of that river."

I saw a small twitch at the corner of Ranger's mouth. It may have been a grin. He came close to me and bent forward so we were staring directly at one another. "The Prut River, Babe. Its source is in the Ukraine and it runs right across the border… into Romania." He was expecting a reaction from me and he got it. I felt my face grow warm. He was waiting, but I would not bring up Bunchy's secret sex trick again. He looked at the paper I'd been writing on when he came into the room.

"What's on your list for today?" he asked. "I know you're meeting with Mary Maggie. Are you taking Albert with you?"

"Yeah. We're meeting Mary Maggie and her attorney at the shop. Once it's officially mine I'm going to start ordering fixtures and make plans to go to market. I guess I'm hiring Lula, and then I'll need a part-time employee too. I don't know what I'm going to do about that. Grandma wants the job, but I'm hoping Osbaldo will talk her out of it. And, I was wondering, could I have a temporary office on five? I could use my cubicle, if it's still empty. I just need a place to call home base until I can outfit an office in the store. And also," I hesitated not wanting to be demanding, but I had some needs he _hadn't _been fulfilling. "Can I take an SUV today?"

Ranger looked at his watch, "You can take whatever vehicle you need, as long as it has trackers and you check in regularly. I don't want to overreact, but I don't want to ignore a possible stalker threat. I have to go. I'm due at the O'Malley site in five minutes. Sorry, Babe. Just ask Tank for anything you need. I'll work on getting you your own car. You need something decent to drive." He leaned over and kissed me hard on the lips and then he was gone.

Part Two: Crosswords

Chapter 6

I found Tank in his office. His frown had turned his forehead wrinkle into a massive uni-brow. I was guessing he and Lula still weren't talking. I knocked softly on the door, my stomach flip-flopping at the thought of facing the bear in his den. He looked up and in a classic RangeMan move let his face go blank. "What can I do for you, Steph?" he asked in a benign tone.

"Plenty," I said as I sat in the chair opposite him and brandished my list. In a half hour I was seated back in my cubicle with the keys to a RangeMan SUV in my purse. The plan was for me to meet Albert and Mary Maggie and her attorney at the store. I read my to-do list over again and left it lying on the desk. Signing the lease on the bookstore was the first step to my new career.

Albert was waiting on the sidewalk looking through the window into the store when I arrived. "She looks so normal," he complained. "I thought a mud wrestler would be more exotic looking."

"She's retired," I said. I was a little disappointed too, because the man standing next to her was Dickie Orr. I hadn't seen him since he represented Shirley Blanco, my most recent previous stalker.

"C'mon," I said, grabbing Albert's jacket lapel and pulling him into the store behind me. I needed Albert to tell me everything was in order before I would sign. Mary Maggie seemed like a quiet respectable book-seller, but I remembered her change of personality when she stepped into the wrestling ring. She'd nearly drowned me in mud by pushing me down face first and putting her knee in my back. I figured that killer attitude could still be hiding somewhere and her choice of attorney made me all the happier to have Albert by my side. To say Dickie and I weren't fond of one another is an understatement, and most likely, everything would be on the up and up, but I wasn't taking any chances.

Mary Maggie looked up and smiled as we entered the store. Dickie frowned and then looked away refusing to meet my gaze. I wasn't offended. Albert stuck a pudgy hand forward and grabbed Mary Maggie's hand in his pumping it up and down. "I'm so glad to meet you," he gushed. "You're a real celebrity in Trenton. You retired undefeated, didn't you?

"Yes, I did," Mary Maggie smiled at him. "It's nice to know I still have fans. This is my attorney Dickie Orr, and your name?"

"He's Albert Kloughn," Dickie sneered. "We've met before. You'll find everything in order here, Kloughn. It's just a simple straightforward lease."

Albert took his time looking everything over and nodded his head letting me know I could sign the lease. I did, and Maggie handed me a large key ring with the keys to the front door, storeroom and restrooms. The entire process had been accomplished without speaking a word to the dick, and maybe we were both happy about that.

They all left and I was alone in my new shop. I turned and looked at bare walls that needed repainting. I was excited at the prospect of decorating the shop and going to market to buy wonderful lingerie for my still unnamed store. I couldn't go to market without a tax ID number and I couldn't get a number without a name.

My stomach was rumbling and I felt a sudden need for a donut. I looked at my watch. It was mid-morning, and I knew there were donuts across the alley. Locking the door behind me I went to visit Connie and Lula.

Connie looked up from her desk as I walked in. "Hey, how are you?" she asked.

"Hungry. Are there any donuts left?"

"Are you joking?" Lula asked as she came around the corner of the files. "We knew you were signing papers this morning. We been saving a Boston Crème for you. It's a celebration." I took the donut and sat on the fake leather sofa. Lula was dipping her hand in and out of a white bag of donut holes, with a regular rhythm.

She was wearing a white spandex body-suit with bright blue shorts sitting low on her ample hips. Her feet were encased in red sneakers with a white swoosh on the side. I started with her feet and let my eyes travel all the way to her head. Her hair was black today and held off her face with a gold metallic headband. She looked like a mutant Wonder Woman.

"What's up with the outfit?" I asked.

"Do you like it?" she asked back.

"Yeah," I said, "You remind me of Wonder Woman."

"That's me. It's for my new wrestling career. I'm gonna be Lula the Wonderous Woman and I'm only going to wear red, white and blue. This here is my workout outfit. I'm going to the gym over on Broad Street to work out later today. I gotta build my strength up."

"You're really going through with this?" I asked.

"Yes, I am. And I have some bad news for you. I'm only gonna be able to work for you part time. I have to keep my job with Vinnie for the benefits. I'm just doing the wrestling on weekends."

"Okay," I said. "I think Mary Lou might be interested in working for me, too. Her youngest is in school now so she was looking for something part time. Maybe I can use both of you."

"I need to find a name for the store," I said. "I'm not naming it Stephanie's Secret."

"What about 'Corsets around the Bend'?" Lula asked.

My eyes widened. "That's…original."

"What about 'Romance and Rapture'?" Connie asked with a sly grin.

"That might be closer," I replied.

I placed my hand on my stomach, forgetting about the name problem. "Wow, I must really be hungry. My stomach is rolling like crazy."

Lula dropped the donut bag and came toward me. "Are you sure it's hunger pangs? I bet it's the baby moving." She reached out and placed her hand below mine on my stomach. "You're about the right stage. I bet it's the bat baby kicking you." My eyes widened. I put my other hand on my stomach. I couldn't feel anything, but I knew she was right. I sat back and smiled. This was turning out to be a good morning.

I returned to RangeMan and went looking for Ranger. His office was still empty. Tank's office was empty as well. I pulled my cell to call Ranger and the phone buzzed in my hand.

"Hey, I was just getting ready to call you. Where are you?"

"I'm on my way back to the office," he said. "We're having problems with the installation at O'Malley's. It's a system we designed specifically for them and Hector discovered an error that could potentially render the entire system useless."

"That's terrible, can he fix it?"

"Yes, but since the same system is in use at their Boston site we're going to have to make a quick trip to Boston. I'm on my way back to Haywood. Meet me upstairs in ten."

"Okay, I have some news to tell you…" I was talking to a dead phone. Why did I expect to have a normal conversation with Ranger on the phone? It wasn't going to happen.

I went up stairs and pulled out the crossword while I waited. I filled in a three letter word for PC key and looked for the next blank space to fill in. The door to the apartment opened as I realized I'd finished the puzzle. Ranger came to me and dropped a quick kiss on the top of my head.

"Come talk to me while I pack an overnight bag," he told me.

"Overnight? How long will you be gone?" I asked.

"Just tonight," Ranger pulled me into his arms and nuzzled my neck. "I'm sorry but the O'Malley account is an important one and I need to do this. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. Don't we have a doctor's appointment?"

"Yes," I said feeling suddenly happy. "It's at four, and guess what. I think I can feel the baby move." Ranger dropped the black cargoes he was shoving into the small black bag. He came over and reverently placed his hand against my rounded abdomen.

"I can't feel it on the outside, but I can feel it on the inside. I'm sure it won't be long until you can feel it, too." His hand slid up from my belly, between my breasts until his fingers were under my chin. He lifted my face up to his and gave me a soft kiss.

"I'll be here to take you to the doctor's office. Now, I really have to go. JP O'Malley and the old man are waiting on us. We're flying together on the O'Malley corporate jet."

"Okay," I told him. "I'm going down to five. Tank gave me a space to use as an office and I've got plenty of work to keep me busy." We left the apartment together. I took the elevator to five and Ranger took the stairs to the garage.

I walked into the break room to grab a sandwich for lunch. I was surprised to find chicken salad instead of the usual turkey. I was betting the mayo was low-fat and the bread was definitely whole wheat, but it tasted pretty good. Not as good as the 'Howdy' special though. A girl could get used to that.

I went to my cubicle and started working. It was comforting to hear the sounds of RangeMan around me as I worked. I looked at my empty 'in' box and felt a moment's nostalgia and wondered about the mysterious Rodriguez. Then I felt the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. I had a name to pick. A shadow crossed my desk and I looked up to see Howdy.

"Hey," I said. "I finished the crossword. I was going to look for you later to return the book." I pulled it out of my purse and handed it to him.

"I've been saving the one from the Sunday paper for you," Howdy replied. "You seem to enjoy doing them. I'll be home later this afternoon. Swing by and I'll give it to you." I watched him lumber down the aisle until he was out of sight. Howdy was an unlikely merry man. He had no previous military background, but he was clearly good at his job. Ranger had a knack for picking the right employees. I was happy he was fitting in with the rest of the guys. I'd never had a brother, but I thought Howdy would make a good one.

Once again I focused on the task before me. I started playing the name game. My stomach roiled and I felt a little thrill. Soon Ranger and I would be playing another kind of name game. If I was having this much trouble naming a store how would we ever pick a baby name.

My afternoon was productive. I made a call to Ella, telling her I wouldn't be in for supper. The rest of the afternoon was spent on lingerie shop business. I kicked back in my chair letting wonderful visions of camisoles, bras, sheer nightgowns and naughty bustiers float through my mind. I imagined sections of the store with discrete placards announcing, _LaPerla, Cossabella, Eberjay,_ interspersed with less expensive but still beautiful lingerie I'd purchase from Baldicott. With a thunk, the chair fell forward and I picked up the phone. I called Connie.

"Silk and Satin," I told her.

"Huh?"

"Silk and Satin. That's the name of the store. It describes exactly what you'll find inside."

"That's an okay name," Connie said, "but I still like 'Stephanie's Secrets'."

"Nah," I said, "It sounds too mall-like, and besides, I don't have any secrets. My life is an open book." My mind immediately went to the secret I was sharing with Howdy. I wasn't telling anyone Oreo cookies and bologna had entered my mouth as part of the same sandwich.

I disconnected with Connie and got back to work. Having a name made the rest of the day easy. By the end of the day I had a tax ID number, plans to attend markets in Chicago and New York and I'd contacted Baldicott to be my local supplier. I was dealing with a new contact as everyone I knew who worked at Baldicott was…dead.

The last thing I did before I left for the day was call my mom. "Hey," I said. "Ranger was called out of town unexpectedly. I was wondering if I could come over for supper."

"Oh, dear." I heard anxiety in her voice. "Your father and I are going out for supper. We're dining with Osbaldo and your grandma… but, I'm sure you're welcome."

"Oh, that's okay," I said. "Don't worry about it. I'm kind of tired anyway. I'll just have an early night at home. Ella will make sure I don't go hungry."

"Well," my mom said, "if you're sure," I heard relief as her voice trailed off. Now I was curious. Why didn't my mom want me to accompany them to Grandma's for dinner?

"I'm sure," I told her. "I'll just have some left over baked chicken and a salad. What are you having? Or is Osbaldo taking you out?"

"Actually, Osbaldo is taking us out. We've got reservations at the new Italian restaurant near their loft."

"No problem," I said. "I'll give you a call later this week," and I disconnected. It was apparent my mother didn't want me feasting on Italian. Her concern about my pregnancy weight gain was irritating to say the least. Baked chicken for supper was no longer an appetizing thought.

A check of the time on my computer screen made me realize how long I'd been sitting in an uncomfortable chair. I turned my computer off and headed toward the stairs. Suddenly, I knew exactly what I was going to do for supper.

One floor below my cubby there was a special treat waiting for me. I knocked on Howdy's door, my face showing my surprise at his appearance. Howdy was dressed in a very unRangeMan like outfit. He wore a powder blue knit shirt tucked into white chinos. His feet were encased in brown sandals and there was thick silver watch on his wrist. His hair was corkscrewed in a particularly springy fashion. He'd used hair gel, I was pretty sure, and he smelled good. Not Bulgari good, but good.

"You've got a date," I said. He blushed. "You've got a date and you look handsome." He blushed more. I leaned in a little closer. "And you smell great. Who's the lucky girl?"

"Maria Fiorelli," he said.

"Wow, Maria Fiorelli is hot," I said. He blushed yet a deeper red. Maria Fiorelli is a clerk at Giovichinni's. Howdy met her when he went with me the day I was kidnapped by Shirley Blanco and Anthony Fenoglio. I had no idea he'd kept in touch with her.

"Do I really smell okay? Ella recommended it. It's called Canali. It's not too strong is it?"

I leaned in and sniffed his neck. "It smells wonderful," I said. I saw Howdy's eyes focus over my shoulder. Lester was standing behind me listening to our conversation. I wasn't sure how long he'd been there. Howdy scowled at him and pulled me forward into his apartment slamming the door behind me.

"I don't really want anyone else to know about this," he said. "The guys will tease me if they find out, and I don't want to be teased about Maria. I really like her."

"I'll keep your secret," I told him, realizing that we were both keeping a secret for one another. "Where are you taking her?" I asked.

"We're going to the new Italian place downtown." I rolled my eyes.

"Say hello to my mother," I told him. "I won't keep you, but I was going to pick up that crossword puzzle, and I was wondering…could I borrow a cup of, I mean a couple of Oreos?"

He grinned, "The 'Howdy' special?"

I grinned back, "The 'Howdy' special."

An hour later I was full, if not completely satisfied. I'd found bologna in the fridge, but it was low-fat turkey bologna. I'd had to settle for reduced-fat cream cheese and the bread had been whole grain. On the down side, it wasn't as good as Howdy's. On the up side I didn't feel too bad about the meal because of all the healthy ingredients.

After dinner I called Lula. She picked up her phone immediately, and I was greeted by a series of grunts. "Is this a bad time?" I asked.

"No," she huffed. "I'm almost done working out"

"You're working out again?"

"Yeah, this here mud wrestling is serious business. I gotta get in good shape, or I could get hurt."

"What are you doing after you're done? Do you want to come over? Ranger is away for the night."

"Nah, I'm getting a bucket of chicken and headin' home. Exercise is hard work. I'm all worn out." We talked for a few minutes longer and I disconnected, condemned to spend the evening home alone.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: A big thanks to everyone who has reviewed and thank you for your patience with my tardy responses. I'm all done with my fling with another man (NaNo) and I'm ready to concentrate on the Cuban sex god. Just typing those words excites me! This post contains my own personal favorite sentence I've ever written. See if you can figure out which sentence it is.**_

_**As always I use them not for profit, but for fun, and Oh! how much fun it is.**_

Part Two: Crosswords

Chapter 7

The apartment was quiet. I turned on the TV to find there was nothing I was interested in watching. The clock showed me it was too early to go to bed, even for a pregnant woman. I thought of Howdy on his date. I thought of my mom and dad dining with Grandma and Osbaldo. On impulse I picked up my phone and called Ranger.

He answered on the second ring. "Yo."

"Hi, I named my shop. What do you think of 'Silk and Satin'?"

"Nice." There was silence, and in the background I could hear a low pitched buzz of voices.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you."

"Babe, I'm a little busy now. Did you need something?" He seemed distracted.

"No, I just wanted to tell you about my shop name."

"Alright, I'll be home early tomorrow afternoon. Before our appointment." And then the line was dead. Talking to Ranger had been worse than not calling him. Tears were rolling down my cheeks and dropping from my chin, polka dotting my shirt. And then I felt it. A definite movement, not the rumblings I'd been feeling. I plopped down on the sofa and pulled my t-shirt up, baring my stomach. I lay back on the cushions and tried to be still. My quiet waiting was rewarded. I felt it again. I placed my hand on my tummy and pushed softly, and there was a push back! I jumped up, picked up my phone and redialed Ranger.

"Babe?" I could hear conversation and laughter in the background, and I thought, maybe, a woman's voice. This wasn't the time to share my news with Ranger. "Stephanie, are you there?"

"I'm sorry," I said. "I meant to call Lula. I must have pushed the wrong button."

I heard a man's voice call "Carlos, come look. Hector's got the system back up."

"Are you alright?" Ranger asked me.

"Yeah," I said, "Sure. See you tomorrow," and I disconnected dissolving into a lump of leaking emotion. I was all alone. Okay, I knew it was just for the night, but it felt like I was the only one not with someone, and I had big news to share. But I wouldn't share it with anyone else until Ranger had felt our baby move.

Slowly I made my way into the bedroom and pulled a fresh RangeMan t-shirt from the dresser. I undressed and slipped the t-shirt over my head. It wasn't tight, but I wondered if it would get that way in a few months. Nah, I thought. Even with the occasional 'Howdy' special I wouldn't grow that large.

The next morning the sun was shining and I was feeling better. I dressed carefully knowing I had an appointment that afternoon. My jeans still fit, sort of. I rolled the waistband down beneath my belly and paired them with a loose white tunic. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and went down to five to work out a schedule and a to-do list for opening the shop.

After an hour I felt my stomach rumble and realized this time I was hungry. It wasn't the baby. I went to the break room in search of an apple and ran into Howdy who was on his way out.

"Hey," I said. "How'd it go?"

He blushed, "Great. I'm seeing her again Friday. She's really sweet. How was your 'Howdy' special?"

"Oh, it was okay, but making it by myself wasn't as much fun as it was with you. You're much better at it. I enjoyed my lunch in your apartment way more than my own attempt. Hey," I grabbed his arm. "Ranger is out of town until this afternoon. Come up to seven at lunch and let me return the favor. I've got my own special for you to try. You'll love it. I can guarantee it."

"Okay," Howdy said enthusiastically. "Right at noon?"

"Yeah," I said. "Ranger won't be back till around two. That will give me time to clean up and hide any evidence. You know this has to be our secret. Right?"

"Right," Howdy said, but I could tell by the puzzled look on his face he didn't get the bigger picture. Howdy continued on his way out of the break room. I heard him mumble, "Excuse me," and I looked up to see him step aside to avoid running into Cal and Vince who were staring at me with eyes wide open. They glanced at one another and shook their heads. "No way," muttered Vince.

I re-examined the conversation Howdy and I'd had and broke into a big grin. The Burg had nothing on RangeMan when it came to spreading rumors and jumping to conclusions. I didn't think anyone would dare to gossip about the boss's wife, but I got some sort of perverse pleasure out of leading them down the wrong path. Howdy was a nice guy, but really. Really! I was a one-man woman, married to a one-woman man and I thought it was pretty evident. I put my hand on my tummy and walked back to my cubicle.

Ella was next on my list. I called to tell her Ranger and I would be eating dinner in tonight, and asked if she had any fresh squishy white bread. It was essential for the lunch I was going to prepare for Howdy. She promised to deliver a loaf before lunch and didn't ask any questions.

The rest of the morning passed quickly. Right before I left the cubicle to go upstairs I called Dillon Ruddick, the super at my old apartment building.

"Steph, it's great to hear from you," he said with enthusiasm. "When are you coming over for a beer? Your apartment is still empty, but the new bathroom is finished. I'll give you a tour."

"Is it beautiful?" I asked.

"It looks pretty good. It's got a rainfall shower head and a heated tile floor."

"What! After all the years I suffered through orange and brown linoleum? No, I don't want to see it. I do want to see you, though. But I'll have to drink a root beer. Ranger and I are expecting."

"Awesome," he said. "Let me know when you're coming and I'll pick up a six pack of A&W."

"Actually, I have a different proposition. Would you be interested in doing a painting job for me?" I knew Dillon was a competent handy man. He'd put my apartment back together after multiple disasters. I explained about my new store and he agreed to meet me there after my doctor's appointment. I thought Ranger would approve of my hiring Dillon. After lunch I'd call Lula and see if she'd stock the bonds office refrigerator for me.

Half an hour later I let Howdy into the apartment. He seemed nervous and I thought it was because he was in his boss's lair.

"It's okay you're here," I told him. "Ranger won't care and anyway he won't be back until later." Howdy walked with me into the kitchen where I had a plate of sandwiches already prepared. He sat down and let me serve him.

"This is my specialty," I told him. "Peanut butter and olives on mushy white bread." Howdy took a bite, chewed and swallowed. He took another bite and nodded his head in approval.

"Stephanie, can I ask you something?" He seemed hesitant and I wondered if he was going to ask me for advice about Maria. I was wrong.

"Why do we have to keep our lunches a secret? I don't like keeping secrets from people. I thought maybe you didn't want Ranger to know we were eating together, but you said he wouldn't care. What's the deal?"

""We don't have to keep our lunches secret," I said, "just what we eat. Do you remember last night you didn't want Lester to know about your date?"

He nodded.

"I don't want anyone to know about the 'Howdy' special, or about this peanut butter and olive sandwich. I'm trying really hard to eat a healthy diet while I'm pregnant, but sometimes baked chicken and steamed vegetables just don't cut it."

Howdy's shoulders relaxed and he breathed deeply. "That's good. I'll keep your secret. Lester said…well never mind what Lester said. But I don't think you should be worried about this sandwich. The peanut butter and olives have lots of healthy nutrients. I'll admit the 'Howdy' special is a little out there, but even that would be okay for a special occasion."

I thought about what he said. He was right. From now on if I wanted a peanut butter and olive sandwich I wasn't going to hide it from anyone. And to make myself feel even better I pulled out the low-fat, reduced-sugar frozen yogurt and dished up two big bowls.

We walked together into the control room on five. I thought it was time to put any future rumors to rest. "Thanks for eating lunch with me, Howdy,"

"Thanks for asking me," he said. "And, thanks for dessert, too."

"No problem," I said. "That yogurt wasn't so bad, but I'm more of a cake girl myself."

"Not me," Howdy said innocently. "I like pie." He gave me a hug and headed for the stairway as I turned to head to my cubicle. Vince and Cal standing with their mouths hanging open, watching Howdy disappear through the stairway door. Men!

The phone rang as I sat down in front of my computer. It was Ranger.

"Babe,"

"Hi, where are you?" I looked at my watch. We had a couple of hours until my appointment.

"I'm still in Boston. We had trouble getting everything up and running but it's good now. JP and I are catching a commuter flight back and the rest of the crew will be arriving later this evening. I'm going to miss the appointment. I'm sorry."

My shoulders drooped a little. "It's okay. The appointment is just routine. I can go on my own, but you will be back here for dinner, won't you? I have something to tell you."

"I'll be there by five. No later." He disconnected and I went to find Tank to tell him I'd be keeping the SUV for the rest of the day.

Tank was in his office, not looking particularly happy. "Yes," he said as he looked up to see me in the doorway.

"I just spoke to Ranger," I told him. "He was supposed to take me to my doctor's appointment this afternoon, but things ran long in Boston. He and JP are flying home now, so I'll need to keep the SUV for the rest of the day."

Tank's head jerked up and I sensed I had his full attention. "JP?" he questioned.

"Yeah, I think he is an 'and son'."

Tank's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Annson?"

"O'Malley _and Sons_, the client Ranger is working with. JP is an 'and son'."

Tank opened his mouth and then closed it. He opened it again and sighed. "JP is part of the O'Malley family," he agreed. "I thought Ranger was working with the old man." He seemed displeased with the news, but I couldn't imagine why.

"Sorry, but I am commandeering a RangeMan vehicle," I said. "I'm driving myself to my appointment today. Since he got rid of my Cadillac I don't have anything of my own to drive. Ranger said he was getting me a decent car of my own."

"Yes, he is," Tank said. "It's being outfitted with some special safety features and GPS. It should be delivered sometime tomorrow. And it was a group decision to get rid of that Cadillac. No one wanted it to leak oil all over the garage floor." Tank's mood had improved a little. He was teasing me.

"The Cadillac was a great stake out car. Much less inconspicuous than the black SUVs you guys always drive."

"We have inconspicuous vehicles, too," Tank replied.

"I've never seen any," I said, surprised.

"See how well they work?" He grinned and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"What am I getting?" I asked.

"I think Ranger wants it to be a secret," Tank said. "You'll just have to wait and see." He gave me a little smile. Tank was a nice man, most of the time. I was sure his recent surliness was Lula induced. I was hoping for a quick resolution of that problem. They were good for one another.

I arrived at the doctor's office, checked in with the receptionist and settled in to wait for my name to be called. The crossword puzzle Howdy had given me was in my purse. I pulled it out and started trying to find a clue I knew the answer to. "Four down," I mumbled. "She-devil." I thought for a while and smiled as I wrote down Joyce. A few clues later I had to erase it and fill in vixen as the correct answer, but I enjoyed my little joke at Joyce Barnhardt's expense.

The nurse called my name and I followed her back to be weighed and measured. The doctor came in and listened to the baby's heartbeat and, although I was sad Ranger couldn't be at the appointment, I used the time to ask the doctor some questions I didn't want answered in front of Ranger.

I asked about air travel, because I planned to go to market very soon. I asked about proper nutrition and was assured the baby was growing fine. Then I took in a deep breath and asked about sex. Now that I could feel the baby move I didn't know what, if any changes we'd have to make. Ranger oozed self control. I knew he could, and would, go without sex for the rest of the pregnancy if necessary. It was me I was worried about. The doctor put my fears at rest and I only blushed a little.

Dillon was waiting for me in the bonds office when I got there. Lula had already popped the top on a root beer for her, Connie and Dillon.

"Do you guys want to come over while I show Dillon the shop?" I asked.

"Sure," Lula said.

"Vinnie's gone," Connie said. "I have to stay here for awhile yet. Bert's picking me up and we're going out to dinner. If you're still there when he gets here we'll walk over."

Lula, Dillon and I walked the half block and crossed the alley. I unlocked the door and we all stepped in. The store still smelled musty and I was planning on changing that. Dillon and I began a slow walk around the perimeter of the empty store. I explained what needed to be done to Dillon. As we were walking we were lapped by Lula who was speed walking around the space.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Aerobics. I gotta build up my lung capacity for mud wrestling, in case I go head first into the mud," and she sped away from us, walking with a strange heel to toe gait. It caused her hips to swing so wildly Dillon and I had to flatten ourselves against the wall as she passed.

Eventually Dillon and I were able to ignore her and continued our conversation. "My cousin is a licensed contractor," he told me. "Together we can get this place ready to open in a couple of weeks, if you wouldn't mind us working together."

"That'd be great," I told him. "I'm going to market next week. I should have enough inventory to get the store up and going before the month is out." We made plans to go shopping for paint and ended our conversation with a handshake. I felt good about the decision to let Dillon do the work. I knew he wouldn't let me down.

"Hey," I called to him as he walked out of the shop. "Lula stocked the refrigerator at the bonds office with root beer, so there's plenty left. Do you want another one?"

He turned and smiled. "I'll go home and drink a real one, then I'll drink a real one for you." He gave me a little wave and ambled out the door and down the sidewalk out of view.

I turned to Lula who was huffing as she continued her speedy pace around the store. "Do you want to go back to the bonds office and have a root beer or are you going to continue to make laps?"

"Just one more lap," she gasped out. "Did I hear you say you're going to market?"

"Yes," I said. "I'm going to Chicago next week. Do you want to go with me?"

"I'd like to, but I can't," she huffed out as she walked past. "I'm gonna be too busy getting in shape. My first match down at the Snake Pit is in less than two weeks. I'm taking it real serious." I could see she was.

"I think you need to rethink the mud wrestling," I told her. "You could get hurt, even if you are in good shape. Have you talked to Tank about it yet?"

"He knows about it," Lula said, "and he ain't happy about it. But I'm not so happy with him either right about now, so that makes everything even."

"C'mon, I'm ready to go," I said. "Ranger should be home before long." I stood and held the door open as she power walked one more lap around the store and out the door." I locked up and started walking back toward the bonds office where I'd parked the SUV. I looked up to see Connie and Bert walking toward me.

"Looks like Connie already locked up," Lula said. "We'll have to wait until tomorrow for the root beer." She swung her ass to the end of the block where she beeped her Firebird door open, hopped in and drove away with the bass rattling store windows as she passed.

"What's up with her?" Connie asked.

"I asked her a question about Tank and she got cranky. I don't think they're getting along too well."

"They aren't getting along at all," Connie said, "and she's probably cranky because along isn't the only thing she's not getting."

I smiled at Bert who had Connie's hand held tightly in his. He was wearing his standard uniform of ill-fitting black suit. He looked more like the bookie I used to think he was, rather than the competent FBI agent I knew him to be.

"Bert's taking me out to dinner," Connie said. "Would you and Ranger like to join us?"

"Thanks, but not tonight," I said, becoming aware of the noise of an approaching vehicle. I looked up to see a large black SUV barreling down the alley toward me. Bert shoved Connie back onto the sidewalk and out of the alleyway. I was frozen, watching the SUV aim directly at me. Somehow Bert managed to pull me out of the way twisting me as we fell against the brick wall. The SUV missed us by inches. I landed on top of Bert, belly side up. The SUV made a sharp turn and took out a parking meter as it sped down the street past the bonds office.

Bert set me down as gently as he could and ran to the corner of the alley. Connie ran to me.

"Are you alright?" she asked, leaning down over me. "That SUV was aimed right at us. If Bert hadn't shoved me back and grabbed you we'd all be dead."

"I'm fine," I said holding a hand protectively over my belly. I'd landed softly on Bert. His quick thinking had saved me. I looked up to see him come back around the corner, cell phone in hand.

"I called 911," he said. "I got a partial plate number." He turned to Connie. "You'd better call Ranger."

Part Two: Crosswords

Chapter 8

Ranger had his arm firmly around me as we walked into the apartment. My jeans were smeared with dirt from where I'd slid against the wall on my way to landing on Bert. Ranger had just gotten home when Connie had called him. Everyone insisted I go to the ER. I thought I was fine, but I did feel much better once I heard the baby's heartbeat. I had also been feeling 'Junior' roll around like crazy ever since the excitement in the alley. I couldn't wait for Ranger to feel it.

"We'll have some supper if you feel like eating," Ranger said.

"I'm starving," I replied. "Did you get the system problem solved?"

"Yes, it should make the rest of the installation here go much smoother. Hector will get a bonus for this."

Ella had left plates warming in the oven. We had baked salmon with parsleyed potatoes and a baby spinach salad. In deference to my harrowing experience there was a slice of cheesecake for dessert. Ella knew the importance of comfort food.

As we were finishing our meal Ranger's phone rang. "Talk" he commanded. He listened for a minute and then said, "My office, now." He pushed his chair back from the table and stood.

"That was Tank. I'm going down to five to discuss the Intel on the would-be hit and run driver. The police have a list of five possible black SUVs based on the partial plate that Bronfman was able to give them. Four of them belong to RangeMan." His face was all grim lines and I wondered who at RangeMan wanted to hurt me?

I picked up the dishes and loaded the dishwasher and spent a few minutes tidying the kitchen. I wasn't a patient person in any circumstance and especially now. I left the apartment and went down to find Ranger.

As I walked past the control room toward Ranger's office I heard raised voices and I stopped where I was. It couldn't technically be called eavesdropping because anyone on the floor could hear it. I looked around. There was the normal evening skeleton crew manning the monitors.

I heard Ranger say, "I'm not running around at the O'Malleys' beck and call. They are important clients and they want my personal involvement and I'm going to give it to them."

Tank responded, "I know they want you to be directly involved, but I don't think it's wise to play the game with JP."

"What do you mean by that?" Ranger demanded of Tank.

"I mean JP has a separate agenda," Tank looked through the open door and met my gaze. I'd been so involved in listening to the conversation I didn't realize I'd been moving toward the conversation. Ranger followed Tank's gaze and all conversation stopped as they waited for me to say something.

"I got tired of waiting upstairs," I said. "Who tried to run me over?"

"We don't know, Babe. Someone took Hector's SUV from the O'Malley site. The police found it abandoned a mile from the bond's office. It looks like whomever took it was heading back to O'Malley's, but the SUV was damaged and it overheated." Ranger walked to the doorway and put his arm around my shoulders pulling me into the office.

"What were you and Tank arguing about?" I asked.

"We weren't arguing," they said simultaneously. They had each other's backs after years of keeping each other alive. There was no way I was going to break that trust and I didn't want to. "Did you get a look at the driver, today?" Ranger asked.

I shook my head no. "All I saw was the grill of the SUV heading right for me. Did Bert see anything?"

"There was just one person in the SUV, according to Bronfman," Tank said. "He didn't get a good look, as he was trying to get you out of the way, but he thinks the guy was wearing a hat or a hoodie. And basically, that's all we've got."

"Can you come back upstairs?" I asked Ranger. "I have things I want to talk to you about." Ranger glanced over at Tank.

"Go ahead," Tank said. "I'll talk to Hector and let you know if we hear anything from the police."

The second the door closed behind us on seven I was in Ranger's arms. His lips found mine with an intensity that was breath-taking. He drew back and said, "Babe, my heart stopped when I got the call. I'm putting one of my men on you constantly until we figure this out."

"Don't be ridiculous," I said. "You don't know for sure the attack was meant for me."

"We don't know it wasn't," he said, reaching out with his hand to caress my belly. We felt it at the same time. A soft little kick that bounced my belly against Ranger's hand. His eyes widened and the smile that spread across his face was beyond the two-hundred watt variety I usually saw. It was full of joy and incredulousness and I wrapped my arms around him.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you since yesterday," I said. "That's our son, making himself known. Our unnamed son. I don't want to call him Junior anymore. I want a name."

"I'd like to call him Adriano," Ranger said, "after my friend. The one who gave me the SEALs hat."

"That's beautiful," I said. I rubbed my tummy. "Welcome to our life, little Adriano." Ranger wrapped his arms around me and walked me into the bedroom.

"I think it's a good night to retire early," he said. I agreed.

The next morning over breakfast Ranger dropped two bombshells. "Howdy is spending the day with you," he said. "What do you have planned?"

"I'm going to pick out paint colors and carpet for the store. I've hired Dillon and his cousin to remodel the store and turn it from 'The Dusty Bookshelf' to 'Silk and Satin'." I didn't mind if Howdy accompanied me. I wasn't sure he would be excited about it though.

"We've been invited to attend the Philharmonic tonight," Ranger said. "Are you interested?"

_Absolutely not._ "I don't know. Who invited us?"

"JP O'Malley. Old man O'Malley is making a huge contribution to the Trenton Performing Arts Center. He wants to make his mark on Trenton philanthropies to introduce his company to the area. I need to make an appearance, but there is no need for you to attend. It's entirely up to you."

I hesitated. Listening to classical music was right up there with a root canal, as far as I was concerned. I didn't have a good excuse and apparently I didn't need one. Ranger was smiling at me. "I'll represent for the Mañoso family," he said. He ruffled my hair and left to face the day.

Nine hours later I was dusty, tired and a little cranky. Howdy had been surprisingly helpful offering his opinion on colors and carpet patterns, and he'd been smotheringly attentive. If his spidey sense told him my stalker was near he made no mention of it to me.

A lengthy meeting with Dillon's cousin had resulted in plans for display cases he would build. Things were shaping up and within a week I'd be at market in Chicago. My dream of being my own boss was becoming a reality.

I entered the apartment to find Ranger was already home. The smell of Bulgari wafted out of the bedroom caused me to quicken my step. I reached the bathroom in time to hear the water shut off. "Honey, I'm home," I called. He stepped out of the shower door and pulled me against his damp body. His kiss was brief as he turned away and made preparation to shave.

"I'm running late," he said. "The O'Malleys have invited me to dine with them before the concert. Ella misunderstood and thought you were attending too, so she wasn't planning on bringing dinner up this evening. If you call her she'll prepare something for you."

"That's okay," I said. "I'll find something on my own." My stomach growled punctuating the conversation. "And I think I'll do it now." I had a craving and I decided to eat what I wanted in full view of my husband, without guilt.

Ranger walked into the kitchen a few minutes later to find me eating a peanut butter and olive sandwich. He was shirtless and wore tuxedo pants low on his hips. My eyes lingered on the narrow trail of dark hair that disappeared beneath his waistband.

"You can still change your mind," he said, dipping his fingers into the olive jar. He held the olive to my lips and I gently sucked out the pimento. It was supposed to be seductive. An act designed to so enrapture him that he'd peel those pants off and carry me to bed. The pimento went down the wrong way and, by the time I was done coughing and sputtering, Ranger was laughing out loud. If I couldn't seduce him into staying home at least he'd leave smiling. He popped the olive in his mouth and rolled it on his tongue. I felt heat pool in my nether regions.

"Babe, you can still change your mind," he said, chewing the olive. He held out his hand. "C'mon, you can find something to wear while I finish dressing." I took his hand and slid off the stool, walking with him into the bedroom.

I looked down at my rounded belly and then glanced over at Ranger's washboard abs. I sighed. Life was so much harder for women. I sat on the edge of the bed and watched him slip his arms into a white tuxedo shirt.

"I really don't have anything appropriate to wear," I told him. "But that's not the reason I don't want to go. I appreciate the invitation, but, well…I hate classical music. It makes me sleepy. You don't mind going alone, do you?"

"I don't mind going alone, but I don't like to leave you alone."

"I'll be fine." I rested my hand on my belly. "I think I'll have an early night. I have some paperwork to go over, and then I'm going to take a long shower and go to bed." I picked up his cuff links from the dresser and helped him button his sleeves. I leaned into him and smiled.

"You can wake me up when you get home." I said. He bent and kissed me softly. I sat back on the bed and watched him finish dressing. His hair was pulled into a neat ponytail tied with a black leather thong and a small diamond stud sparkled in his left ear. This was Ranger in elegant mode.

I wasn't used to seeing him in formal wear. He exuded sex appeal. He couldn't help it, it just leaked out. He wore the tuxedo with ease and beyond the sex appeal there was an air of sophistication about him. Cary Grant had nothing on Ranger. For a moment, it was as though I was looking at a stranger. Then he gave me the full-on, two-hundred watt Ranger smile.

"Like what you see, Babe?"

I nodded. "Wake me up when you get home. And please tell your friend thanks for the invitation and I'm sorry I missed the opportunity to meet him."

There was a moment's hesitation. He walked across the room and kissed me on top of the head. "I'll tell JP you were tired." He walked from the bedroom and I heard the door close behind him as he left the apartment.

I watched TV and thought about my store. I took a long bath and dressed in my most comfy PJs. I was tired, so I went to bed. After two hours of tossing and turning I got out of bed and gave up sleep. Ranger would be home soon and I decided to stay up and wait for him. I'd left a catalog from Baldicott on the desk in my cubicle. I knew there wouldn't be too many merry men to see me so I decided to run down and get it. I could spend the time waiting for Ranger by perusing their inventory.

I got off the elevator and made my way to my work area. I came to an abrupt halt as I noticed light spilling from the doorway of Ranger's office. I listened and heard the soft, but unmistakable sound of a woman's voice. I walked to the doorway where, amazingly, I stood unnoticed. Ranger was hard to sneak up on and yet I'd done it without trying. He was standing with his back to the door, another anomaly. His head was bent forward and he was concentrating on something that looked like blueprints spread out on his desk.

Next to him, with her hand resting on the small of his back, stood a tall woman with auburn hair cascading down her back in a tumble of curls. Her head was bent, bringing her face into close contact with Ranger's shoulder. She appeared to be concentrating on the blueprints as well, although I noticed her perfectly manicured fingertips were drawing small circles on Ranger's back.

I cleared my throat and Ranger turned to see me standing in the doorway. I saw the slight rise of one eyebrow. I hadn't been planning on running into any one when I left the apartment. I was wearing a RangeMan t-shirt with no bra and baggy pajama pants with a yellow duck-print pattern that exactly matched the yellow fuzzy socks covering my feet.

"Stephanie." No Babe, just my name. I stood mutely waiting for him to continue.

"JP," he said, turning the woman to face me. "I'd like you to meet my wife, Stephanie. Stephanie, this is JP O'Malley."

She turned to face me and we were both motionless for a brief moment. Simultaneously, we stepped forward and reached out. Her hand clasped mine and held for a second. "Stephanie, it's so good to meet you. I'm sorry you were unable to attend the performance tonight. I understand that in your, uhm, delicate condition, late nights tire you."

I shot a look at Ranger. The blank face gave nothing away. I wasn't sure if that was the excuse he'd given, or her interpretation for my absence. JP O'Malley was an even height with Ranger. She wore a form fitting gown of blue that was covered with sequins. Her feet were encased in matching stiletto-heeled FMPs. Diamonds studs sparkled in her ears, almost matching the stud Ranger wore in his ear. A large diamond pendant nestled in her significant cleavage. This woman was Joyce Barnhardt's holy grail. She was everything Joyce aspired to be, from her beautifully shod feet to the top of her magnificent auburn coiffure, including the venom sliding out behind her ice cold blue eyes. I hated her on first sight.

"Nice to meet you, too," I said. "Ranger has mentioned you several times." _ He just neglected to tell me you're a woman._

"Really," she said, her eyebrows arching in surprise. "He's barely mentioned you to me. I think he's trying to keep you a secret, dear. He must not want to have to share his new wife with the rest of us." She turned toward Ranger. "Carlos, shame on you. You never once mentioned your cute little wife in all the time we spent together in Boston last year."

I smiled and prayed that the tears wouldn't start to fall. I had no response. "I'll just leave you two to your business," I said, taking a step backward out of the office. I offered Ranger a small smile thinking I should win an Oscar if I pulled this off.

"Babe, wait," Ranger said taking a step toward me. "JP was just leaving. I was going to walk her back down to the garage. I'd like you to come with us. I have a surprise down there for you."

"Alright," I said, a little mollified I was finally going to get a set of decent wheels. We entered the garage and the first thing I saw in the sea of black SUVs was a royal blue Mercedes convertible. My heart skipped a beat, until I realized it wasn't my surprise. The car completely matched JP's dress and as she stopped next to it my ears started ringing. Next to it sat a new black mini-van. Ranger handed me a set of keys.

"Look inside, Babe."

I pushed the key fob and the side door of the mini-van slid open. There was a black infant car seat strapped into the second row of seats. This was my new vehicle. "I...I don't know what to say," was all I could come up with. I looked at JP and saw a smirk on her glossy red lips, and the threat of tears left as my confusion and mistrust turned to pure white anger.

JP and Ranger made a perfect pair standing close to one another in their evening finery. I recalled her catty comment about spending time together in Boston. Had Ranger spent more than casual time with her in Boston? We had been married, but we definitely weren't together. Had they slept together? Did it matter now that Ranger and I were, until five minutes ago, happily married? Hell yes, it did. Ricardo Carlos Mañoso, _aka I won't share you, Babe_, and I were going to have to talk. But it wouldn't be soon. All my energy was consumed by keeping my tears on the inside.

"Thank you for the mini-van. It was very thoughtful," I said to Ranger. I turned and stared JP straight in the eyes. "JP, it was so nice to meet you. You are right about my condition. I find I'm suddenly very tired. If you'll excuse me I'm going up to the apartment." I shot a sweet look at Ranger. "See you shortly, dear." I turned and left the garage, my pregnant ass swinging like Grandma's garden gate.

Five minutes later when Ranger came into the apartment he found me sitting Indian style on the bed with Howdy's latest crossword puzzle in my hands. "I have a problem," I told him. "I need a six letter word for asshole, and I don't know if it's Ranger or Carlos."


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: As always, I use them for fun and not profit. _

Part Three: Eight Hundred Miles On One Tank

Chapter 9

Even through the red haze of my temper, he looked magnificent. He stared at me for a moment, then started to undress. Piece by piece the clothing came off until he was standing before me completely naked. He disappeared into the bathroom and came out a few minutes later with his hair hanging loose on his shoulders. He showed no awareness of my anger. He just calmly proceeded to get into the bed.

"I have an early morning, Babe. If you're going to be up for awhile maybe you could take it to the living room." He pulled the covers down on his side of the bed and slipped between the sheets. I stood and dropped the crossword onto the floor.

"Wh-What are you doing?" I asked. "You can't go to bed." I turned to watch him settle himself. He fluffed the pillow and laid back. As I stood and stared at him, he reached up and turned out the bedside lamp. The room was dark, but there was enough light spilling in from the bathroom for me to see his expression. He looked toward the bathroom and frowned. He started to pull back the covers. I knew he'd get up and turn the light off before asking me to do so.

"You can't go to sleep," I told him, walking over and flipping off the bathroom light. I made my way carefully back to the side of the bed in near total darkness. "You can't go to sleep," I repeated. "It's against the rules." I jumped onto the bed straddling him. I landed a little lower than I'd intended and leaned forward to save my balance. My hands pressed down hard on his shoulders.

"What rules?" he asked, his voice carefully emotionless.

"The rules that say you can't go to bed angry."

"Babe, I'm tired. I'm not angry."

'Well, I'm mad as hell!" I said, digging my knees into the sides of his body. He wasn't going to roll over, or get up, or do anything to avoid the conversation we were going to have. I felt him harden beneath me and that's when I realized exactly how low I'd landed. With my hands still on his shoulders he reached his hands down to slide my pajama bottoms over my hips and held me firmly in place. I moved slightly and tried to reposition myself. I heard the faintest moan from him and knew any further movement on my part would be a big mistake. I tried to marshal my thoughts into a coherent statement, but his hands were caressing my bare ass. I was suddenly having trouble breathing, let alone speaking. Images of JP's auburn hair cascading down her back, standing next to Ranger in his tuxedo, intermingled with images of him under me, letting me move languorously against him. I was having a difficult time forming words. My body was responding to his, without my permission.

I heard myself moaning softly from the back of my throat and the desire to move back and forth over him was overwhelming. Somewhere my anger took a detour and I found myself aching to show him why he shouldn't give JP a second thought. Bending my head down, I found the soft skin behind his ear and rained kisses down his neck. Slowly, softly, I started rocking my body against his hardness. Thoughts of JP receded as my mind was occupied with the here and now.

I was inundated with a need to give and receive pleasure. I continued my path down his body until suddenly I was flipped onto my back and Ranger's hands were roughly removing my pajama bottoms. The urgency to feel him inside me was all consuming.

"Did you sleep with her?" He stilled. I stilled. I couldn't believe I'd asked the question, but it had come out of somewhere deep inside me.

"Babe?"

"JP," I said. "Did you sleep with her when you were staying in Boston?"

"Stephanie," Ranger said, his voice low and intense and as close to a growl as I'd ever heard. "What's going on in this bedroom right now is between you and me. Why are you bringing another person into it?"

"Because I'm pretty sure she's already here," I answered.

There was silence for a moment and then he said, "No, but I thought about it."

I should have been grateful for the truth and I was, on some level, but the emotions controlled by raging pregnancy hormones took over. I turned away from him and lay on my side. Tears flowed freely from my eyes and my body shook with half contained sobs. He reached out his hand and ran it up and down my arm and then tried to pull me over onto my back. I shoved his hand away and the sobs began in earnest, as I buried my head in the pillow. He leaned close to me.

I felt his breath against my skin. "Babe, you need to calm down. It's not good for you, or the baby." His arms went around me as he moved in close.

"Don't tell me what's good for the baby," I said. "I think of the baby constantly; you think of the baby when it's convenient. When I wanted to tell you I felt the baby move, you were in Boston…with her." I felt his hold loosen slightly and I took advantage of the space. My hands worked of their own accord, as I reached out and pushed him away.

"Not tonight," I said, and I turned away from him lying as still as possible. There was silence for a moment, and then the bedsprings creaked slightly.

I turned to find Ranger had gotten out of bed and gone into his closet. When he came back into the room wearing sweats with no shirt I knew he was going to the gym. He didn't look at me as he walked from the bedroom. Moments later I heard the apartment door slam and I was alone. I felt empty deep inside. I'd just rebuffed Batman, and he didn't take it well.

I continued to cry uncontrollably. At some point exhaustion claimed me, and I fell into a deep sleep. When I awoke, sunlight filled the room and I was still alone. I struggled out of bed, and went to look at the damage in the bathroom mirror. My hair was wild, as I'd expected, but other than that I looked surprisingly normal, except for the tell-tale swelling around my eyes. It wasn't the first time I'd slept alone in our bed, but it was the first time being alone had been a choice. At first, I thought it had been my choice, but as the night had progressed and he hadn't returned I realized I forced him to make a choice, and he didn't choose me.

Where was Ranger? I thought maybe he was in his office. After a quick shower I decided to go to five. I was hungry, so I went to the break room and found a bagel and a bottle of juice. As I carried them from the break room I noticed Ranger's office was dark. No one was paying special attention to me so I assumed no one knew Ranger was AWOL.

Sitting in my cubicle with my computer booted up, I gave the appearance of being focused at my task. I made every attempt to concentrate, but I kept asking myself, _Where is he? Where__** is**__ he?_ And the only answer I could come up with was, _He'd better not be with her._

After twenty minutes I thought about giving it up and going back upstairs. I was having trouble maintaining any level of functionality and I just wasn't in the mood to order sexy underwear, or business cards, or do anything else productive. A shadow fell across my desk and I looked up to see Tank.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Sure," I said. "What would make you think otherwise?" There was attitude I just couldn't hide. Tank bent low resting on his haunches, his face level with mine. I turned my head to avoid his intense gaze. His big hand came up and with one finger he turned my face back toward his.

"What would make me think otherwise," he said quietly, "is that your husband spent a good part of the night battering a punching bag in the gym. Hal was watching him on the monitors and called me. I came down and offered to give him some real competition to work out his anger, but he didn't respond. So I gave him a friendly shove thinking he'd take me up on my offer. Ranger was here physically, but his head was someplace else entirely. He ignored me, pulled a shirt on and went directly to the garage. He tore out of here so fast he left rubber tracks up the ramp. And he hasn't come back."

The look on my face must have reflected my fear as Tank continued. "He's alright. He didn't disable his GPS. I've been tracking him all night."

The tears started again, taking me by surprise, as they overflowed and dropped heedlessly on my shirt. "Was he with her?"

Tank's eyes opened wide. "Her?"

"JP," I mumbled.

I saw understanding dawn on him. He knew. He knew we'd had a fight and he knew what the fight was about. "No," he said. "I know with certainty, he wasn't with her." My tears came harder. Tank stood and reached over my head pulling tissues from a box on the shelf above the monitor. He handed them to me and stepped closer. I thought, for a moment, he was going to hug me, but his hands remained at his sides. I looked up to see a disheveled Ranger standing in the opening to my cubicle. His hair was tangled around his shoulders and dark circles shadowed his eyes. The black t-shirt and the sweats he'd pulled on the night before looked anything but pristine. Without speaking he reached out and lifted me from the chair. Tank stood back as Ranger carried me across the floor and down the hallway to the elevator.

"Put me down," I demanded. He did. We rode silently to seven. He fobbed open the door and pulled me inside, locking the door behind us. He picked up the phone in the foyer and punched in a number. His conversation was one-sided and terse. "I'm offline until I say otherwise. No calls or interruptions, no exception."

I started to make a comment about his manhandling, but the look in his eyes stopped me cold.

"Sit," he said pointing to the sofa. My legs were shaking so badly it wasn't difficult to comply. I knew Ranger was going to talk and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to like what he was going to say. He smoothed his hair back from his face and I noticed the bruises on his knuckles. Tank hadn't exaggerated when he told me about Ranger's middle of the night interlude in the gym.

"Stephanie, in this relationship there are two people. Last night you attempted to bring a third party into it. It was the first, and last, time you will ever attempt to punish me by withholding sex. If you are feeling unwell, or if you're just not in the fucking mood you can damn well tell me! I'll never force you, but I won't be put off as punishment. Last night you attempted to use my feelings for you, and my desire for you, to try to control me and I won't tolerate it. Is that clear?"

Part of me wanted to stand up and shout, "You're not the boss of me!" but he was right. I had tried to punish him by pushing him away. And since I worked for RangeMan, technically, he was the boss of me. I'd been hurt by his behavior, unintentionally, and I'd fought back in the only way I could. In the end we'd both been hurt. I may not have liked the way he was telling me, but he was right. He was standing in front of me waiting for my answer.

I looked up, tears rimming my eyes and said, "Yes, it's clear. You're right and I'm sorry. And, and… I was in the f-fucking mood." I was crying in earnest now. "I was in the mood for a long time after you left," I wailed. He dropped to his knees in front of me and wrapped me in his arms.

"Estás conduciendo me jodidamente locos. Te amo y quiero que nuestro bebé, pero este embarazo podría ser la muerte de mi!" _You're driving me fucking crazy. I love you and I want this baby, but this pregnancy may be the death of me!_

I don't understand much Spanish, but I understood the emotion behind the words. "I love you too," I told him.

"Babe, you see how loyal my men are to me?" I nodded my head yes. "That's because I am loyal to them. I'm a fair boss and I would never do anything to betray my men. You know this." Again I nodded my head.

He pulled me up from the sofa and lifted me into his arms. His lips nuzzled my neck as he walked into the bedroom. "Take that loyalty and fidelity and multiply it a thousand times and you might have an inkling of what I feel for you. There has been no one since the ring went on your finger, and there will never be anyone else. Now let's finish what we began last night."

An hour later Ranger's cell rang. He ignored it, but I picked it up and looked at the caller ID. "It's Tank," I told him.

"Ignore it."

"But it must be important," I said. "You said you were offline and no exceptions. He wouldn't call if it wasn't important."

He took the phone from me and hit speaker, dropping it into the folds of sheets between us. "What?" he demanded.

Tank's response was equally curt. "You've got a visitor who's demanding to come up. She says it's critical that she speak with you."

"Who?" Ranger demanded. I knew even before I heard Tank's answer.

"JP."

Part Three: Eight Hundred Miles On One Tank

Chapter 10

When Ranger and I exited the elevator and walked onto the floor on five it was obvious to anyone who'd seen us leave earlier, our issue had been resolved. Ranger was freshly showered and shaved. My hair was in a messy ponytail and I was wearing a different outfit than I'd had on earlier. My growing baby bump was on full display under the tight fitting shirt. There was a rash that extended from just under my ear to where it disappeared underneath the scoop neckline of my stretchy t-shirt. Close inspection would show it was a beard burn. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what we'd been doing and that was good, because I didn't think JP was even close to rocket scientist material. Ranger looked like business as usual and I looked like I'd just rolled out of bed. I also looked very satisfied. It was pretty much the exact image I wanted to present to JP.

JP was standing between Tank and Hal. Tank was frowning down at her and Hal couldn't seem to focus on anything but her cleavage. She was wearing an emerald green shirt, which showed off her assets way more than it covered them.

"JP," Ranger said. "Sorry to keep you waiting." It had been barely ten minutes since Tank had called. "What's the emergency?" There was no sarcasm in his voice. He was taking her claim of an emergency seriously.

She swung around and Hal and Tank were forgotten as she focused in on Ranger,

"Carlos, I just heard." She spared me a quick glance. "I just heard about the attempt on dear Stephanie's life. You must be so concerned. And Daddy and I are concerned." She smiled sweetly in my direction, a frown of worry marring her otherwise wrinkle-free face. "We just found out about a car trying to run you down, Stephanie, and it was someone from RangeMan."

"We don't know who tried to run Stephanie over," Ranger said, "but it's highly unlikely it's a RangeMan employee. Hector was at your job site when his vehicle was stolen. We are investigating to see how someone got to the car without Hector's knowledge."

"Well, you know Daddy," she said. "He's very upset. He wants to make sure you've planned for enough monitors. Since someone stole the car and no one saw it, he's afraid we need to make adjustments to the present installation. And, well, as I said, Daddy is very concerned. He doesn't want to second guess his decision to have RangeMan do our security. If you have problems within your own company how can you provide security for anyone else? I have the specs with me and Daddy wanted you to look them over one more time."

Ranger turned to me, "This may take awhile, Babe." There was an apology in his eyes. I was astonished. He was letting this woman malign his company and he was going to make time for her when she wasn't in the day's plans. This account must be very important to RangeMan.

"No problem," I told him. "I've got a few things to finish up in the cubicle and then I'm heading over to the shop. I'm meeting with Dillon and starting to set up my office over there."

JP said, "I'll just need to run down to my car and get the blueprints. I'll meet you in your office Carlos." She turned and made a beeline for the stairway door. Could I like this woman any less?

"Who does she think she is?" I asked Ranger. "She orders you around like a little lap dog!"

"Hardly that, Babe." He sounded tired. He reached out and grasped my hand in his and gave it a squeeze. His smile made me realize he was thinking about what had happened upstairs when we had finished what we'd begun last night. I couldn't hide my smile. We had finished, yes indeed, and finished together at that.

"You're going to have an escort today," Ranger said. "When are you leaving?"

"In about ten minutes," I said. A frown marred Ranger's forehead, but before he could say anything Tank stepped forward.

"I'll go with her today. Howdy is busy with skips all morning. I can make time." I saw the look of relief quickly cross Ranger's face and I wondered where he'd been all night. He looked like he needed to be in bed asleep, but JP O'Malley had changed his plans for the day.

"I have trackers," I said. "I don't need a baby-sitter. I thought I'd take the minivan for a test spin today, and I'll be perfectly…"

"I'll be with you," Tank interrupted. "I'll meet you in the garage in ten." He turned and walked toward the bank of surveillance monitors at the back of the room, where Cal and Vince were focused on the myriad scenes in front of them. Ranger gave me a pat on the butt and pushed me toward my cubicle.

It only took a few minutes for me to pick up the papers I'd need for the day and stuff them inside my pocketbook. I left the cubicle and saw Tank still standing back with Cal and Vince. I walked back to see what was holding their attention. They were focused on the image of the RangeMan parking garage.

"Hey," I said, trying to draw their attention away from the screen. "I'm ready, Tank." I looked at the screen and saw what had them so mesmerized. They were watching Binkie make a fool of himself. The camera was focused on JP's blue Mercedes. She was bent in half, struggling to get a sheaf of papers out of the back seat. Her short skirt was exposing a huge amount of thigh and if she stood up quickly, Binkie, who was bending over right behind her, might literally be brown nosing. I saw her turn and look at him over her shoulder. She said something and he reached out to grab at the papers as they slipped through her hands and hit the floor. Binkie busied himself picking them up and handed them back to her as she twisted and turned the sheets into an orderly stack.

Tank turned to me, "C'mon, let's go. If I see any more I'll get sick. I don't like that broad." I looked at Tank in surprise. The comment was out of character for him. I didn't think I'd ever heard him make a judgmental statement before. We walked silently to the elevator and went down to the garage. JP was gone when we arrived. She'd taken the stairs again. I'd probably take the stairs myself, if I wasn't walking for two.

My phone rang and I pulled it from my pocket to see Howdy on the caller ID. "Hey, what's up?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm on my way to the shop. If you're at the bonds office come see me later."

"Okay," he hesitated. "Are you sure everything's okay?"

"What's going on, Howdy? You sound worried. Is everything okay with you?"

"Yeah, I can't explain it. I just had a feeling and thought I'd call." The little hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I'd dealt with Howdy's feelings before. I made a mental note to take extra care today. I disconnected and turned to make sure Tank was with me.

Tank looked over at Binkie, who was busy with a car at the back of the garage and shook his head. We got into the mini-van with Tank filling up the passenger seat.

"This van could come in pretty handy," I said as I backed out of the space. "I can use it to haul all kinds of things around for the shop, until the baby comes. As a matter of fact…" I applied the brakes and we came to a halt, half in and half out of the garage. "Let's take the infant seat out and leave it here. That way we can turn the seats down if I need to carry something big." Tank got out and opened the side door without saying anything. He fumbled with the straps to the car seat, and I got out and came around the van to see if I could help. I stood behind him and watched him struggle with the safety belt.

I heard the soft thwump and knew immediately what it was. It sounded like the pilot light coming on in the furnace. It sounded like the propane grill right before the flames lit. It sounded like my van was going to blow up! Tank's arm came around me and pulled me back. I heard him yell, "Take cover!" and was vaguely aware of seeing Binkie duck as Tank pulled me behind the security kiosk and against the wall. The explosion was deafening. It reverberated throughout the garage. Tank's big body covered mine as I heard pieces of minivan hit the ground around us. The acrid smell of smoke made me lift my head to see a huge black cloud rolling out from underneath the flaming skeleton of my van. The smoke was rising out of the entryway, sucked out of the underground garage by the breeze from the street.

Tank moved off me and helped me to my feet, "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, holding my hand to my baby bump. I felt Adriano turning somersaults. I thought he was okay, too. I looked at Tank who seemed to be untouched. "Binkie!" I said.

"I'm okay," came the response. "I just pushed the 9-1-1 alarm." The door to the stairway burst open and hit the wall with such force it almost ricocheted shut again. Ranger came running into the garage full tilt and slowed only slightly when he saw me. He was followed by Hal, Cal, Woody, Lester and Vince, and by a familiar looking man that I realized might be Rodriguez. Ranger was by my side and I wrapped my arms around him and said, "I'm alright." We looked toward the minivan, which was on fire.

"We need to get out of here," Tank said. He moved me in the direction of the lobby door where I could exit to the sidewalk. Ranger, Vince and Lester ran ahead to get out on the street and check for pedestrian damages. I looked over my shoulder to see JP leaning in the doorway of the stairwell. Our eyes met and she looked truly horrified.

I called out to Lester as I made my way through the door. "Come back and help JP," I said. She looks frightened." I looked around and was amazed at the small amount of damage. The van had been half way out of the garage and the blast seemed to have had a forward momentum. Thankfully, Binkie, Tank and I were fine. I hoped the same was true for anyone who'd been in front of the garage exit.

Two hours later, the fire department and the police were gone. What was left of the van had been towed away by the police for inspection. The merry men were all back to business as usual. They had taken JP upstairs to wait until she could get back in the garage to get her car. With a smile I remembered hearing a cop say the only vehicle damage other than the minivan had been to a blue Mercedes. Thankfully, there'd been no injuries. Ranger and I walked into the control room on five and over to where JP was holding court. What was it about green eyes, a flawless complexion, red hair and size 38 DD boobs that so mesmerized these men?

"JP," her head swiveled as Ranger addressed her, "Your car was hit by part of the van when it exploded. Your trunk is dented and one of your tires is shredded. I'll have Lester give you a ride back to your offices and RangeMan will take care of getting your car repaired."

She stood and wrapped her arms around Ranger's neck. I took a deep breath and forced a smile on my face. I was not going to let this woman get to me, or at least I wasn't going to let anyone see she was getting to me. "Thank you, Carlos. It was so wonderful to see you take charge of this horrible mess."

And then she turned and grasped my hands. "Stephanie, I am so grateful you weren't hurt. There must be a mad man out there. Someone truly crazy who'd want to hurt you and the baby. I pray you'll be careful and I hope this person is found soon." The words were right, but there was a hardness in her eyes I didn't like. I'd spent enough time around Joyce Barnhardt to know an opportunist when I saw one, and no matter how sympathetic to my cause she seemed, JP was waiting for her opportunity. Tank was leaning against the wall taking in the whole scene. I looked at him and thought 'I don't like this broad either', and I'm pretty sure he read my mind.

The stairwell door opened again, with such force the door banged off the wall. A muscled machine with flying red corkscrews came dashing across the room to my side. "Are you okay?" he asked repeating his words from earlier. "What the fu-heck happened?"

"I'm fine'" I told him. "I'm a little shaky, but that's because right after you called my new van blew up. It was only part-way out of the garage when it happened, but luckily Tank and I were standing outside the van instead of sitting in it." Howdy pulled out a chair and moved me from Ranger's side to settle me into it. He reached down and picked my legs up resting them on the edge of a nearby desk.

"Your feet should be higher than your heart," he said. "That will make you feel not so shaky… unless, you're hungry. Have you had lunch yet?" I shook my head no as I looked up to see Lester, JP, Cal and Vince staring at Howdy. Ranger and Tank stood a few feet away with their eyes locked on one another. It was some weird form of communication I'd seen them engage in before. Something was going on here and Howdy and I were the only ones who seemed not to know what it was.

"Let's go down to my apartment, Steph," Howdy continued. "I'll fix you our special lunch and you'll feel better."

"Go to our apartment," Ranger commanded. Howdy looked up in time to catch the key fob Ranger threw to him. "Ella will bring you lunch. Stay with her until I can get this mess sorted through." It felt as though everyone in the room had momentarily suspended their breathing.

I stood and tugged on Howdy's arm. "You're right, I am hungry. Let's go to seven."


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Thanks to everyone for your reviews. I appreciate all comments. As always, I use them for fun and not profit, and give thanks to JE for her wonderful characters.**_

Part Three: Eight Hundred Miles On One Tank

Chapter 11

It was late afternoon when I gave up the thought of accomplishing something at the lingerie shop. Ranger had left Howdy and me to entertain one another. Ella brought up a nice healthy lunch that included a slice of devil's food cake. She had my back.

We watched a movie, and talked a little about how someone could have breached the RangeMan security to place an explosive device on my new van. When I thought I was going to scream from the enforced inactivity Howdy came to the rescue.

"Where's the crossword puzzle I gave you?"

I pushed a half formed idea of escape out of my mind and walked into the kitchen. The folded section of the Sunday paper was sitting on the bar. I searched for a pencil with a big eraser and carried the paper to the living room where I plopped my ass down on the sofa, crossed my legs and settled in for a lengthy session. "Four down," I said, "a belt maker's tool." Howdy came and sat next to me and we worked diligently for the next half hour.

Howdy's phone rang and he stood to pull it out of his pocket. The one-sided conversation was interesting and the harder I tried not to listen, the more I heard.

"Yeah, everything is fine up here," Howdy said. He listened intently and then said, "No fuckin' way." He turned his head toward me and said, "Uh, excuse my French, Steph."

He turned his attention back to the conversation as he walked toward the kitchen. "It's not like that. We're friends. Well yeah, she's hot, but she's…" His voice grew quieter and I couldn't make out what he was saying. There was the low hum of his voice interspersed with moments of silence. I heard a sound like a fist coming down hard on the counter and Howdy wasn't whispering any longer.

"No. No! I need this job. You're shittin' me. RangeMan doesn't have offices in Siberia." There was silence for a moment. "Myanmar. Where is Myanmar? Is it in South America? I don't speak Spanish." There was an extended period of silence, then, "Thanks for the warning."

He disconnected and walked back into the room, this time sitting in the chair across from me.

"Sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help it. Is everything okay?"

He shook his head slowly. "No, it's not okay." His expression was morose. "Vince and Cal told Lester I was, well, that you were, uhm, that we are having an affair." His face was flushed with embarrassment. "They said the only one that didn't know about it was Ranger. Lester called and told me if Ranger found out he'd kill me. I told him it wasn't true, but he said Ranger would still take me to the mats. And then he'd probably send me on some remote assignment just to teach me a lesson."

Howdy stood from the chair and began nervously pacing the length of the room. He stopped mid-stride and turned to me. "Steph, I don't want to leave Trenton. I think this thing between Maria and me could work out." I got up from the chair and went to wrap my arms around him.

"Don't worry," I said. "You are a good friend to me and Ranger knows that. He's not going to banish you from RangeMan or kill you. The guys were just yanking your chain."

"I don't think so," Howdy said. "Lester was trying to warn me."

"That may be so," I said, "but Ranger knows I'm not having an affair with anyone and I would never let him send you away." I tightened my arms around Howdy and gave him a good hug. The sound of the door opening caused us both to look toward the foyer. Ranger and Tank stood side-by-side. Howdy and I jumped back putting space between one another.

"Are we interrupting?" Ranger asked.

"No," I said. "I was just thanking Howdy for taking good care of me."

Ranger turned to Howdy and said, "You can go now."

"We may have a debriefing later tonight on the stalker situation," Tank said. "We're collecting data and I may need to talk with you. Be available by phone." Howdy nodded and walked quickly toward the door. He stopped and drew himself to his full height. One hand was on the open door and the other was running through his corkscrews making them stand on end in a way I found endearing.

He looked straight at Ranger and in a clear, deep voice he said, "I'm not sleeping with your wife." He left, slamming the door shut behind him. There was a moment of complete silence before Tank's booming laugh rang off the walls. Ranger's stern demeanor cracked and I was exposed to the full-on two-hundred watt smile. It was the first time I took no pleasure from it.

"What?" I asked. "What's so funny? Don't you think I look like someone men would want to have an affair with? Is it because I'm pregnant, and fat? Do you think men only want to sleep with women like JP O'Malley?"

There was the audible sound of indrawn breath, but I didn't know whose breath, Tank, Ranger's or mine. The tears started their familiar track down my cheeks and I left the room with a parting shot, "You're laughing because it's me and Howdy. If it was JP O'Malley and Howdy you'd be giving him high fives and slapping him on the back." I made my way to the bedroom and flopped on the bed. I hadn't had a good cry in over twelve hours and I was overdue.

I awoke to the feel of Ranger's hand softly caressing my hip. He ran his hand along my thigh and back up over my hip and along my side to the edge of my breast. He repeated the movement several times, his fingertips touching me lightly. I rolled over and he leaned down to kiss me.

"Did you have a good nap?" he asked.

"Yes, but I'm still mad at you. You shouldn't make fun of Howdy and me."

"Babe." He leaned down letting his body come into contact with mine. He pulled me close and we laid spoon fashion. "I didn't hear or feel the blast today," he said. "I just glanced at the monitor in time to see the van explode. I didn't know you weren't in it. JP and I had just started looking at the blueprints and something made me look to see if you and Tank had left the garage yet. I don't even remember leaving the office. I think my brain quit working until I saw you were safe."

I turned to face Ranger and let my lips find his. Our kisses were soft and lingering and didn't lead to lovemaking. He held me and whispered Spanish words to me in a low voice that soothed me and calmed my pregnancy hormones. We stayed together wrapped in one another's arms until the phone rang, alerting us Ella was bringing dinner up.

We were finishing dinner when Ranger's phone rang again.

"Yo." He listened for a moment and disconnected.

"Hurry and finish, Babe. We're going down to five. Tank has a preliminary report of the Intel on your stalker."

"I'm ready now," I said, pushing my plate away. We left the apartment and went to five hand-in-hand. As the elevator door opened Ranger pulled me into his arms and gave me a deep kiss. I didn't know if it was because he wanted to, or because he wanted it to be seen on the monitors. I knew we'd talk about what I'd said earlier eventually, but it seemed now was not the time.

We entered the conference room and I was surprised to see not only Tank, but Lester, Howdy and Binkie. Tank stayed on his feet as the rest of us sat around the table.

"Here's what we've got," he said, sliding folders toward all of us. "It's not much. I'm still waiting on a call from Morelli that I'm hoping will give us another area to explore."

"Morelli?" I said. "What could Joe possibly have to do with this?"

"We are operating on the assumption the driver of the green Jaguar XKE is your stalker. Howdy didn't get a good look at the driver, but he got a glimpse of a red, white and blue license plate. He thought it might be an Ohio plate." I looked over at Howdy and he gave me a little half-smile.

Tank continued. "Since Morelli relocated to Cincinnati, I called to ask for his help. The XKE model hasn't been manufactured since the seventies. It's a classic sports car that is expensive to own and maintain. If it was an Ohio plate Howdy saw, it might not be too hard to track. Morelli is checking and was going to get back to me with a list of the registered green Jaguar XKEs in Ohio. The list should be fairly small and researchable. That's really our only lead."

"What about the RangeMan SUV that was stolen from the O'Malley site?" Lester asked.

"It was gone over by Trenton PD as well as RangeMan and nothing out of the ordinary was found. The GPS tracked it from the O'Malley installation to the bonds office and a few blocks down Hamilton, where it was abandoned." Tank picked up a bottle of water and unscrewed the cap. He took a long drink before he continued. "No alarms were set off, because Hector was working at the site and didn't even know his vehicle had been stolen. As you all know, the fleet SUVs can be started with a key or with a dashboard keypad. We think the person who took the SUV would be someone familiar with the keypad."

"In other words," I said, "a RangeMan employee…" I shook my head slowly side-to-side in disbelief. I couldn't let my mind go down that path. These men were my brothers.

"Either that or someone was able to get to Hector's key and copy it," Tank said.

"What about the explosion today?" I asked. "How could anyone have gotten to my van. It was new and I hadn't even driven it yet. It was never out of the garage. I don't want it to be anyone from RangeMan, but doesn't that make it even more likely that it is someone inside?"

"The explosion today leads us to believe this is an outside job, Babe," Ranger said. "Frankly, if one of my guys wanted you dead, you'd be dead. The reports are preliminary, but it looks like it was a very simple device used to explode the van. It was set off manually with a detonator. The detonator was probably small and remote controlled. It could be easily concealed. There was no timer. Someone set the charge off knowing you'd be in the van. It almost had to be someone with knowledge of your schedule."

"That makes it sound even more like an inside job," I said. "I didn't even have knowledge of my schedule until right before I left. Maybe someone is just trying to scare me. They waited until Tank and I were out of the van. Binkie was far enough away that he wouldn't be hurt."

"Bottom line is we don't know who's behind this. I can't find anything in your recent past that would lead to a stalker." Ranger looked at me solemnly and I thought I was going to hear something I wouldn't like. "This doesn't have the earmarks of your previous stalkers, but you're living here now and you aren't as approachable as you were in your apartment. What it comes down to is simple. You are going to have to be accompanied by someone 24/7 until we get this thing solved. And you are going to have to stay close to home."

"That's not possible," I said. "I'm going to market in Chicago next week."

"You'll have to postpone it, Babe. The only way you could go is if I went with you and the O'Malley installation will be wrapping up next week. I have to be here."

Lester, Binkie and Howdy were imitating spectators at a tennis match. Their heads were turning in unison, first toward Ranger, then back to me. They weren't going to miss a word or nuance. I wasn't going to conduct a battle in public. I wasn't going to give in and I wasn't going to usurp my husband's authority.

"Ranger, I can't put it off. The market is only held twice a year. I need to purchase inventory for the shop. Isn't there someone else you'd trust to go with me?" I saw Ranger glance at Tank and they both turned to look at Howdy. Howdy blanched, his freckles standing out like the black spots in a connect-the-dots book.

I remembered Tank's laughter earlier in the day at the thought of Howdy and me together. "I choose Tank," I said. "He can keep me safe while I'm shopping for bras and panties." Ranger, Lester, Binkie and Howdy smiled. Tank did not.

Part Three: Eight Hundred Miles On One Tank

Chapter 12

My wardrobe was limited, for once, by the lack of time to shop instead of lack of funds. I was going to change that. Lula and I were at the mall being followed closely by Howdy. Tank had been set to accompany me on my shopping trip until he realized I was shopping with Lula. The details of their conflict were sparse and that in itself was unusual. Lula, mostly, told me everything, even when I didn't want to know. I was hoping to glean some information while I was shopping for my trip to Chicago.

Lula was wearing a sedate red jogging suit. Her shoes were white PT flyers bedazzled with blue stars. She seemed to be serious about the red, white and blue theme. We had our arms full of bags and had enlisted Howdy to carry the overflow.

I turned to him and said, "Just giving you a little warning. We're shopping for lingerie now."

His face flushed slightly as he said, "I thought you were going to Chicago to buy lingerie."

"Hunh," Lula said. "That's man thinking for you. Stephanie can't go buy underwear in Chicago if she ain't wearing new underwear when she gets there." Lula made a strange kind of sense, but I could see it was over Howdy's head.

Lula gave Howdy the once over and said, "I thought you picked Tank as your bodyguard. Howdy's doin" a good job an' all, but I thought I might be seeing Tank today."

"Why aren't you seeing Tank?" I asked. "What's the problem you two are having?"

"_We're_ not having any problems," Lula answered. "_He's _having a problem. He don't want me to mud wrestle. He thinks Pinwheel Soba is a criminal and I might be getting into something bad."

"He could be right," I said.

"I know it," Lula answered. "But I need to make some money. You got Ranger supporting you now, but you remember how it used to be. I need some extra cash and I figure mud wrestling is better than what I used to do to make money."

I was amazed she'd even mention her former profession as a way to make ends meet. "Lula, if it's that serious I could get you a job at RangeMan. They are always looking for help doing searches. I know Ranger would be happy to hire you." My fingers were crossed behind my back.

"Well, truth is, it ain't all that serious. I was just tryin' to get Tank to step up a little. He seems like he's got right intentions about me, but he ain't making no move. At first I was just trying to boost him in the right direction, but now I'm really looking forward to my first match. I think I'm going to be good at it." She stopped walking and flexed her biceps. She was far from the Popeye bulge, but she had muscle definition. Working out was working for her.

"Wow," I said, suitably impressed.

"I got me a personal trainer. Mary Maggie recommended him, and she's been coming to my practices to watch. He's teachin' me the Five Moves of Doom. Then I'm gonna learn the People's Elbow and the Rock Bottom. I'm even working on a few moves of my own, but I haven't named them yet."

"Wow," I said again. I was starting to see what Tank was worried about. She was speaking a different language. I'd been to a mud wrestling match at the Snake Pit and I knew it was a shady place. I was going to talk to Tank on our trip. Maybe it wasn't too late for him to 'step up', whatever that meant.

When our shopping trip was completed, Howdy returned to RangeMan with me. I gave him a brief hug before we parted ways. We'd come through the affair misunderstanding with no lasting damage, and he was now convinced Ranger wouldn't be sending him to an inclement locale. I left Howdy on five and went in search of Ranger. He and Tank were deep in conversation when I found them in Ranger's office. The conversation stopped as they both turned to stare at me.

"What time is the flight tomorrow?" I asked. Tank looked away from me and gave Ranger a small nod. Once again they were doing their silent communication thing.

"The flight is in the morning, Babe. You've got to be ready to go by 0800."

"Okay, I didn't realize we'd be leaving so early though. I'm going upstairs and start packing. I'm really excited to be buying inventory. The shop is close to becoming a reality."

"I'll be up in a few," Ranger said. "I just have a couple of things left to go over with Tank."

I was sorting through my day's purchases in preparation for packing when I heard the door to the apartment open. Ranger strolled in and I thought I saw his eyes widen a little, but he made no comment. The bed was covered with clothes and I had a stack of shoes piled on top of the clothes. My FMP days were behind me for a while, but I still had some dressy shoes I wanted to wear.

Ranger looked at my pile of clothes and said, "Go for comfort, Babe. You want to be comfortable when you travel. It will be a long day."

"Oh, not so long," I said. "It's a pretty short flight. Most of the day will be spent at the hotel planning my strategy for the next day. I know what vendors I'm going to visit. With good planning I should be able to get everything accomplished in one day. I wish you could come. I know I'll be safe with Tank, but I wish he could stay and take care of the O'Malleys."

"It has to be as it is," Ranger said. "This account is financially very important to RangeMan. The account in Trenton will be a major one, but when you combine it with our previous O'Malley account in Boston, it's huge. We have the security on their offices and at all their construction sites. After I left for Boston last year, I found some solace in work. I gave the O'Malleys a great deal of time and attention and now they expect the same thing here in Trenton.

"What about JP?" I asked. "Did you give her a great deal of time and attention?"

"I've already told you, we spent time together. At one time, she let me know she wasn't adverse to a more physical relationship. I considered it. I was missing you and grieving for our lost child. I had no one to turn to, but in the end I came back to Trenton. I couldn't stay away."

"Does JP think you are still considering her offer?"

"JP was unaware of your existence when she made a move to take our friendship to another level. I told her I wasn't interested, that I never mixed work and pleasure. She understood that because she is striving to be seen as a professional."

"Professional what?" I asked.

"Babe," Ranger's voice held a hint of warning. "The company is called O'Malley and Sons. JP has an advanced degree from MIT. You haven't met the rest of her family, but her father is old school. He is of the opinion women should not have careers. He would be very happy if JP found a husband and left the business. JP backed way off me, when she saw I didn't want a sexual relationship with her. She is trying to make her way up the ladder in the family business and she realized alienating me wouldn't help."

So JP was smart as well as beautiful, rich and built like the proverbial brick house. Another reason to go with my original opinion of hate on first sight. Ranger had an innate ability to read people, but if he thought JP wasn't interested in pursuing a closer relationship with him he was wrong. She wasn't the type to let a little something like a pregnant wife stand in her way. I believed Ranger when he said nothing had happened between them, even if he had thought about it. I believed he was a faithful husband. But he was blind to JP's machinations. I was going to have to figure out a way to cure his blindness.

The next morning I was up and ready to go with time to spare. Ranger and I had spent the evening avoiding any other conversation that would lead to conflict. We'd shared an Ella-prepared meal and spent the rest of the evening making love. He was gentle, but passionate and giving, and his actions told me he was sorry he wasn't accompanying me. We fell asleep with an unspoken truce regarding JP O'Malley. Ranger accompanied me down to the garage where Tank was waiting for us. He was standing next to Ranger's Cayenne.

"We're taking the Cayenne to the airport?" I asked Tank.

Tank didn't answer. He stared at Ranger who said, "Not exactly, Babe. You do have tickets on a morning flight, but actually you and Tank are driving so you won't be on the flight. It will be a long day, but it's doable."

"We're driving?" I asked unbelievably. "To Chicago? That's at least six hundred miles away."

"Eight hundred," Tank said.

"It's a long trip, but the Cayenne is comfortable," Ranger said. "And Tank will make plenty of stops for you. No one, except the three of us, knows of this plan. It is the best way to ensure your safety. We've publicized you will be staying at the Hyatt, but you'll be checking in at the Hotel Allegro. It's close to the Merchandise Mart and we've arranged extra security with a local firm. You'll be checking in as man and wife, Mr. and Mrs. George Frost."

"We're what?" I looked from Tank to Ranger and I could see Tank wasn't happy with the plan either.

Before I could voice another complaint, Ranger said, "Your safety and that of my unborn child are everything to me, Babe. I've trusted Tank with my life many times and now I trust him with yours. I'm letting you have your way. You're going to market, and you are going to come back and open your shop. Do this for me. Get in the car and follow the plan we've made. You'll be safe."

I wrapped my arms around Ranger's midsection and mumbled an okay somewhere in the vicinity of his armpit. I was glad I had a crossword puzzle. Eight hundred miles was a long way to travel. My mood lifted when I realized there'd be lots of time to pick Tank's brain on everything from JP to Lula. The day was looking up.

We pulled out of the garage and my body gave a little shiver at the memory of the last time Tank and I attempted to leave the garage together. I was silent letting Tank slip into his zone. The traffic was heavy, so I didn't want to bother him with conversation. I pulled out my crossword puzzle. The edges of the paper were getting tattered. I was going to have to invest in a crossword book. I gave up an hour later when I broke the lead on my pencil.

"How much farther?" I asked Tank.

He pushed a couple of buttons on the GPS. "Seven hundred and eight miles."

"Tank, can I ask you a question?" I saw his shoulders tighten. He knew I'd ask, no matter what his answer. "Do you think JP is after my husband?"

"I can't answer that. I don't know her that well."

"Sure you can answer," I said. "I just want to know what you think. I know you don't like her. I don't like her either, and I don't trust her."

"Do you trust Ranger?" he asked.

"Of course," I said.

"Then you don't really have anything to worry about."

"I'm not sure about that. I think Ranger's got a blind spot where she's concerned. He sees her as someone who is overlooked by her father. I think he's sympathetic to her."

"He feels guilty."

I sat up straighter in my seat and readjusted the seat belt. "About what?" I demanded.

"You should ask Ranger. I shouldn't be having this conversation with you."

"I've asked Ranger. He said he never slept with her, but he_ thought _about it. I believe him, but I think he has some feelings for her. I just don't know what his feelings are. If he had slept with her I couldn't say anything about it. We were married, but we definitely weren't together."

"He feels guilt," Tank said again. "We all knew something was wrong between you and him. He came in one day and said I was in charge and he was moving to Boston permanently. It didn't happen, because he was needed too much in Trenton, but he tried to make Boston his base of operation. He came to Trenton only when he needed to and he kept himself a prisoner in his own apartment. He wouldn't even go out to Shorty's with the guys. I knew it was because he didn't want to risk seeing you, but I didn't know why."

"That was a bad time for me, too. Tank, did you know I was pregnant and lost the baby?"

He nodded his head . "I didn't know at the time, but eventually Ranger told me. He was not his usual self and he turned to work to cover his pain. JP sensed a need in him and moved in. He feels guilty because he used her to get his mind off you. She moved into his space and he let her. I don't mean physically, but she was there and made herself easy company for him."

"I hate her." The words were out before I realized I'd said them. Tank's laughter rang out. "I'm glad you find this so amusing." The sarcasm in my voice couldn't be missed.

"Stephanie, Ranger does have a blind spot where she's concerned, but it's because facing it would mean he has to relive some of the pain he felt when he was in Boston. I think JP O'Malley is a conniving bitch and I've told him so. He doesn't see it, but he will. I don't think you need to worry about her and Ranger, though. He is willing to work with her, but he won't be unfaithful to you or your child. You're his life."

My desire to talk left and I let Tank drive in peace for awhile. I figured I had another hour before I was going to have to insist on a bathroom break. I wiggled in my seat to ease the numbness in my rump. Tank reached into the backseat and I felt a soft plop on my lap. I looked down to see a package of Tastykakes and I gave Tank the two-hundred watt smile. I took my time savoring every bite. I licked the last crumbs off my fingers and turned sideways in my seat.

"Thanks, Tank. That was just what I needed. How much farther?"

He punched the GPS buttons again. "Six hundred and twenty miles."

"Great," I said. "It's time to talk about Lula." I saw his eyes roll out of the corner of my eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: I am very appreciative of the response to this story, and as always I use them for fun and not profit.**_

Part 4: Market Strategies

Chapter 13

I'd tried at the six hundred mile mark to talk about Lula. "So what's the problem with you and Lula?"

"There's no problem," Tank said. He reached out and turned the car stereo on. Classical music flooded the interior of the Cayenne. I didn't know if it was woodwinds, or low brass, but I didn't like it. We both winced at the same time, as the music rose to a particularly annoying crescendo. Tank reached out and hit another preset button on the stereo. More classical music; this was Ranger's vehicle, after all. Tank turned the music off, but his point had been made. I put the conversation on the back burner. We still had a ways to go.

I had a map of the Merchandise Mart and I decided to give conversation, in general, a rest. The vendors' locations were clearly marked, so I plotted my next day's route. With careful consideration I listed the sellers I wanted to visit. This was where I was getting my imported lingerie. I would buy the less expensive and everyday lingerie from Baldicott. There was also the market in New York, but that wouldn't be for several months. I was hoping to be able to purchase enough inventory to keep my store afloat for awhile. The imported lingerie would be a niche market, but even if people only looked at it, they might be tempted to buy some of the still pretty but less expensive items I planned to stock.

The Cayenne slowed and I looked up from my list making to see Tank was pulling into a rest area. "It's okay," I told him. "I'm good. I don't need to go yet."

"You're not the only one who needs a break," he said. "I need to stop. How do you feel about driving for awhile?"

Surprised, I said, "Sure, no problem. Maybe I could drive for a couple of hours and then we could get something to eat."

"That won't be necessary," Tank said. "Ella packed food for us to eat on the trip. We have sandwiches and fruit and there is plenty of water."

Tank took care of his business and we got back on the road quickly. He'd pulled a cooler out of the back and I ate a sandwich while I drove. "How much farther?" I asked him.

"Too far to be worried about it," he responded. "Why do you want to talk about Lula?"

Once again, he'd surprised me. "Because I'm worried about this mud wrestling venture," I said. "She's taking it pretty seriously, but I'm afraid she's getting in over her head. She's taking everything Pinwheel Soba says on faith and I remember hearing he's not so trustworthy."

"He is untrustworthy," Tank agreed, "and he's connected, but not to people Lula should be connected with. She's signed a contract for three matches and if she draws a good crowd then he'll offer her more. Even if she wanted out she'd have to fulfill that initial contract. Pinwheel Soba isn't a guy to welsh on. If she would have listened to me to start out with, I never would have let her sign."

"I'm not sure you have the right to keep Lula from doing anything," I said. I kept my eyes on the road, but I saw Tank turn his head toward me.

"Why wouldn't I have the right? She's my woman."

"Really?" I asked. "Does she know that? Lula and I talked just recently and, and she didn't act like she was anyone's woman. I know she cares for you and I know she wants you in her life. You should talk to her Tank. You guys need to work this out."

Tank was silent for awhile. I concentrated on driving and made it to the four hundred mile mark before my bladder demanded we stop. When we got back on the road I was in the passenger seat. I reclined and decided to pass the time by thinking. When I woke up I turned to Tank.

"I'm hungry," I said, "and I need to make another stop, pretty darn soon."

Tank grunted something that might have been, "Okay." He kept on driving, passing one small gas station and a rest area. I was really getting miserable. I wiggled in my seat and clamped my legs together tightly. It wasn't serious yet, but it was close.

"According to the GPS there is a McDonald's in a few miles. If you can make it there, you can use the restroom and buy some food. I thought you might like some fries. I noticed you didn't eat much, earlier. If you can't make it, the ditch is pretty deep here. I'll pull over." I stared at him. He wasn't joking.

"I'll make it," I muttered.

After our quick stop, I hopped back in the passenger seat with renewed vigor. I had a large order of fries and a chocolate shake. And I had a twinge of guilt. McDonald's wasn't on my healthy eating plan. I didn't think Tank would tell on me. Heck, he was used to eating with Lula. My food might seem healthy after all.

"You think Lula wants to be my woman?" Tank asked.

"I think she does, but you really need to ask her." I was dancing around this conversation the way he'd tried to avoid my questions about JP, earlier. "I know this will sound odd coming from me, Tank, but learn from my mistakes. Talk to her. Let her know where you think your relationship is going and tell her what she means to you."

We fell into silence and I was left thinking about the irony of what I just said to Tank. Ranger and I had solved the major communication issues we had about our feelings for one another, but there were other areas where we still didn't communicate well. The area of JP O'Malley, and his refusal to see her as a divisive influence in our relationship, was one of those areas.

Eventually my thinking led to another nap. I came awake suddenly and my body was racked with an involuntary shiver.

"You okay?" Tank asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I think I was having a nightmare. JP and Joyce Barnhardt were all rolled into one awful redheaded monster, and the monster was chasing me. I think I'm developing a real aversion to redheads, except for Howdy. Howdy's the exception to the redhead rule."

I stretched in my seat, as far as the confines of the seat belt would let me. "How much longer till Chicago?"

"Less than an hour," Tank replied. He'd been patient and courteous with me all day, but I sensed he was nearing the end of his 'nice guy' rope. I'd tried hard to limit my requests for restroom breaks, but hey, I was pregnant.

Tank picked up a cell phone from the console. He flipped it open and pressed a button. "We're about fifty minutes out," he said. He listened for a moment and then disconnected.

"Who'd you call," I asked. "And where'd you get that phone? It doesn't look like standard RangeMan issue."

"It's encrypted," he responded. "Not impossible to trace, but very difficult. I called Ranger. He's making sure the hotel is ready for us when we arrive. We're working with a security firm in Chicago. When we get to the hotel we can go right up to the room without checking in. That will all be done for us."

I stayed silent as we progressed from the countryside into the urban area. RangeMan was taking my security very seriously. Tank navigated the roads with the help of the GPS and then, we were there. My butt was numb and my legs were a little shaky as I slipped from the passenger seat into Tank's waiting arms. He steadied me and leaned in close to whisper. "Remember we're Mr. and Mrs. George Frost." Tank's huge hand found the small of my back and guided me into the lobby.

The concierge came forward immediately and stopped in front of us with a small bow. I stifled a laugh, half expecting him to click his heels together.

"Mr. and Mrs. Frost?"

Tank nodded.

"Welcome to the Hotel Allegro. Your room is ready. I'll have the valet park your vehicle and bring your bags up shortly. We've taken the liberty of upgrading you. Suite 712." He handed Tank a key card and led us to a bank of elevators.

As we exited the elevator and made our way down the hall I realized I was exhausted. Tank slid the key card into the lock and pushed the door open. We stepped inside and stood still in the marble foyer.

"Uh, Steph, I think this is…"

"…the honeymoon suite," I finished for him. The room was small, with subdued lighting. There was a sitting area with double doors that opened into a shadowed bedroom, where a huge mahogany sleigh bed seemed to occupy most of the available space. A fragrant bouquet of roses was sitting on the marble-topped table next to the door. The sitting room had a Victorian air and seemed romantic without being too feminine.

I bypassed the medallion-backed rose velvet sofa and matching wing-back chairs to stand in the entry way of the bedchamber. Curtains were drawn at each corner of the bed and held in place by tasseled tie-backs. I approached the bed and looked up to see an enormous gilt-framed mirror, on the ceiling, centered directly over the bed. A doorway opened off the bedroom into a bathroom. The tub was deep and claw-footed. There was a separate shower and the toilet had a pull-chain flush mechanism.

I heard the door slam and went back into the sitting room to find Tank carrying our luggage toward the bedroom.

"It's either the honeymoon suite," I said, "or we've stepped through a portal into a nineteenth century bordello. No matter how you look at it, there's just one bed, and I'm about ready to call it a day."

Tank looked at the bed, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of the mirror. "No problem," he said, "I'll just sleep in the outer room on the floor." The floor was marble with what looked to be an antique Turkish rug under the sofa and chairs. It wouldn't make for a restful night.

I walked out and sat on the sofa. Despite its high back and relatively narrow bench, it was very comfortable. "I'll make a deal with you," I said. "Give me first dibs on the shower and I'll sleep on the sofa. I wouldn't be able to sleep in the bed anyway. That mirror gives me the creeps. I'll fit fine on the sofa, and you can have the bed, and we'll both be ready to shop tomorrow." I stuck out my hand and Tank shook it with a smile. The bed was big enough for both of us, but I couldn't bring myself to suggest we share it.

Somewhere between meeting JP and shopping with Lula, I'd made the decision my duck printed pajama pants had to go. After my shower I pulled on my recent purchase of powder blue satin tap pants and a matching camisole. I'd decided to start dressing like the owner of a lingerie shop. Unfortunately, when I packed my new PJs I hadn't known I'd be sharing such an intimate space with Tank. I wrapped myself in a thick terry robe I found on the back of the bathroom door and made my way into the bedroom.

I helped myself to a pillow and a nice fluffy blanket and went to make my bed. Tank was standing at the door, double checking the locks. "You're safe here," he said. "Ranger has two people from Windy City Security checked in under our names at the Hyatt. If you call out at all during the night, I'll hear you, but we're locked in tight here.

"Okay," I said. "I'm not worried, but I do have to warn you, I probably will have to make a midnight trip to the bathroom. Adriano is rough on the bladder.

"Adriano?" Tank questioned.

"Adriano," I said. "It was Ranger's idea. Do you know Adriano, too?"

"I did," Tank said. "He didn't make it back from his last mission. He was a good friend to both Ranger and me."

"I didn't realize he was dead," I said somberly. I was glad I'd agreed so easily to the name. As if on cue, the baby started moving. Without thinking, I advanced toward Tank and grabbed his big hand. I placed it under the robe, on my satin covered belly. When a little kick rocked his hand he pulled it back, but before he could remove it completely, I closed my hand around his massive wrist and held his hand in place. I laughed at his discomfort, as my stomach rippled with the movements.

"It's just your future godson doing a little kick boxing," I told him.

"Godson?" Tank asked.

"Godson," I confirmed. "Ranger and I haven't discussed it yet, because it's a given. You're already protecting him. The job is yours…if you want it." Tank's smile was wide, with almost Ranger-like wattage, as he said good night and closed the French doors behind him.

The sleek black jungle cat was growling and getting closer each second. Slowly, I began to back away, but I tripped and the cat advanced. I pulled my legs up tightly against my pregnant belly. The growl of the beast was so loud, I jumped up from the sofa, and that's when I realized I'd been dreaming. Even though I was awake, the growling continued. A look at the clock told me it was way too early to be up and around, but I was starving.

The double doors to the bedroom were closed. I'd made a trip to the bathroom a couple of hours earlier so my bladder wasn't an immediate problem. Tank's body had looked like the foothills of the Rockies under the comforter. He'd neither spoken nor moved, but I knew he'd been aware of my presence. I'd taken care of my business as quickly and quietly as possible, then made my way back to my sofa bed.

I had an immediate problem, though. If I didn't take care of my hunger, it was a good possibility the morning sickness that had been my constant companion in the first trimester, would make a reappearance. I made my way to the mini-bar and rummaged through packets of cocktail peanuts and assorted candy bars, but I was craving something specific. I knew Tank had more Tastykakes somewhere in the bedroom, and nothing else would solve the problem. Probably, I ought to get a handle on the sweet tooth I'd been indulging, and I would, just as soon as I got back to Trenton and Ella's healthy breakfasts.

Desperate situations called for desperate measures. I opened the doors into the bedroom, just far enough to stick my head through. "Tank?"

"What?"

"I'm starving. Do you have any more Tastykakes?" There was moment of silence, followed by several more moments of silence. Just when I thought he was going to ignore me completely I heard the sound of covers being thrown off. A few seconds later the crinkling of cellophane made my mouth start to water. Tank's big hand extended through the door and there was a package of Butterscotch Krimpets dangling from his fingers. I grabbed it out of his hand. The bedroom door swung shut softly and I stood there a moment, feeling guilty. Okay, there'd been an apple in the mini-bar, and a too-ripe banana. Before I could talk myself out of the Krimpet, I heard a soft metallic click and a movement in the foyer caught my eye.

I saw the metal latch move to the side, as if by magic, and then the locks tumbled. Little goose bumps marched up my arms and the tiny hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end. The image of the cat in my dream flashed before my eyes, but instead of fear, I felt excitement. I knew of only one person who could open a lock like that. The room was suddenly very warm, as I realized I was going to get busted with my early morning treat. The door swung open and Ranger, dressed in black slacks and sweater, stepped into the foyer.

Ranger's eyes widened as they found me. Loosening his grip, he let a small black valise slip through his fingers and land on the foyer floor with a small thump. His gaze started at my feet and traveled slowly up, past the Butterscotch Krimpet, over the soft mound of my belly and lingered on my breasts. His eyes squinted and his mouth tightened into a thin line as his gaze shifted slightly. He was staring at a spot over my left shoulder. I felt Tank's breath against my shoulder at the same time I heard the safety engage on his gun.

"That's a good way to get yourself blown up," Tank said to Ranger.

I turned to see Tank, a mass of smooth dark brown muscle, interrupted by purple boxers…Lula's influence, I thought. He was filling up one side of the double doorway and I realized it looked as if we had both been in the bedroom.

"I could say the same thing to you," Ranger told Tank, ignoring me.

"Fuck," Tank's muttered curse registered disgust and irritation, but was without heat. I knew that just for a moment our appearance had caught Ranger off guard. I walked straight toward Ranger stopping inches in front of him.

"No," I said, "but I_ thought _about it." I let my gaze slide over to the blanket and pillow on the sofa. Ranger's gaze followed mine.

"Babe."

Part 4: Market Strategies

Chapter 14

The sound of the bedroom door softly closing told me Tank was giving us some privacy. Ranger walked across the room and put his arms around me. He knew nothing had gone on between Tank and me. But just for a second, the blink of an eye, the thought had crossed his mind and I'd seen it in his face before he'd shuttered his expression. It was juvenile, immature, pregnant thinking on my part, but his little blip of insecurity gave me a little blip of glee. Maybe he'd reexamine JP O'Malley's motives toward him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I thought you were too busy with the O'Malley installation to leave Trenton."

"I left a message for Hector. He's now in charge and he can pull in whomever he needs to complete the job." That was a change. I felt Ranger's hands spreading across my back pulling me nearer. His face dipped into the hollow of my throat and his lips bit at the sensitive chords at the base of my neck.

My voice was husky when I asked, "Won't your absence upset JP?" He didn't answer.

His mouth moved up my neck and found its way to my lips. His kiss fed a hunger that was more intense than any Tastykake craving I'd ever had. Desire rocketed through me. I threw my arms around his neck and lifted a leg to wrap around his pelvis and increase our contact. His hands came down and cupped my ass, pulling me even closer against him. My other leg left the floor to wrap tightly around him. My lips nibbled at his bottom lip and my tongue made its way to meet with his.

"I'd say 'get a room', but you already have one." The voice penetrated my desire fogged brain, as I realized Tank was standing behind me. He looked at Ranger and then repeated my earlier words.

"What are you doing here?"

My legs unlocked and slipped to the floor and Ranger held me away from him looking down at my body. Both of us realized at the same time, I was mostly undressed. I turned around to see Tank outfitted in RangeMan black. He walked to the edge of the sofa and found my discarded robe from the night before. My cheeks flushed as I mumbled, "Thanks." I pulled it on and wrapped it securely around me.

Ranger motioned to a chair. Tank sat in one wing chair and Ranger faced him in the other. I plopped on the sofa pulling the blanket up around me.

"There's been new Intel on Stephanie's stalker," he told Tank. He looked at me for a moment and said, "Morelli came through for us."

"Morelli!" I said startled. "My stalker is from Ohio?"

"He called last night with news on the green Jag. They ran down only two green XKEs tagged in Ohio. The car is somewhat of a collector's item. One of the cars isn't running at the moment, as the owner has it in pieces all over his garage. The owner of the other car has been on a road trip and can prove the whereabouts of the car for the last several weeks, and it hasn't been to Trenton."

"And this helps me how?" I asked.

"Howdy thought it was an Ohio tag, but he wasn't sure. He said the plate was red, white and blue." Ranger pressed his forefinger and thumb to the bridge of his nose for a moment. He looked tired and I knew he hadn't been to bed.

"Morelli remembered something he'd dealt with recently," Ranger continued. "Several states have special veteran license plates and they all resemble each other, especially the Ohio and Massachusetts plates. He acted on a hunch and called in a favor. He got a hit with a 1971 green Jaguar XKE with a Massachusetts registration. The owner is Brian O'Malley, the eldest son, and JP's big brother. Brian is temporarily heading up the Trenton management team during the construction phase. He's been in Trenton for a couple of months and may stay on as the general manager because he likes it here, and he's good at his job. It's the position JP wants, but her father is leaning toward Brian."

"Brian O'Malley is my stalker?" I asked. "I don't even know Brian O'Malley."

"Brian O'Malley is not your stalker," Tank said, "but I'm betting his sister has access to his car."

"She does," Ranger agreed. "I called Brian last night and acted interested in his car. I told him I'd heard he had an XKE and asked if he'd consider selling it, hoping I'd get information from him. He explained it was bequeathed to him by his grandfather and he would keep it always, because of its sentimental value. He drove it from Boston to Trenton, but he hasn't been driving it lately. He fell down some steps on a job site a couple of weeks ago and his right leg is in a cast from the knee down. He mentioned he'd let his sister drive it a couple of times. He assumed that's how I knew he owned one."

I jumped to my feet. "I knew it!" I said. "She's an evil, red-headed bitch. Her brother knows she's been hanging around you. And now we know she tried to kill me. Did they arrest her?"

Ranger didn't answer. He turned to Tank and said, "I caught the first plane out here. Morelli wants to be kept out of this and I haven't shared this with anyone else."

"Well, why the heck not?" I demanded.

"It's not that easy, Stephanie," Tank said. "All we know is she had access to the car. No one can identify her as the driver."

"Tank's right," Ranger said. "We have a lead, but now we have to gather evidence. It may not be her, but I can't ignore the fact she'd have had easy access to Hector's vehicle. And she was in the garage immediately before the van blew up. It's circumstantial. We either have to prove it was her, or prove it wasn't. It would be too much of a coincidence for there to be two green XKEs. I think the car you saw at the bonds office, and then again the next day when you were with Howdy was definitely her brother's." Ranger got up from the chair and sat next to me, pulling me into his arms.

"We have nothing concrete to connect her with the hit and run attempt," Ranger continued. "I've got people checking her whereabouts at that time, but it's hard. We don't want her to get suspicious, so we may have to cool our heels for a while. We suspect her, but we have to find the proof, and since this latest bit of news is known only to the three of us, the investigation won't be proceeding until our return."

"It was her," I said. "She's got the Joyce Barnhardt gene, just wrapped in a nicer package, and she's after you." I wriggled, pulling myself free from him, and got up from the couch. I walked to the door of the bedroom where my Butterscotch Krimpet was laying against the baseboard. With my ass pointing at the sitting area, I bent in half and grabbed the package from the floor. The cellophane split open with one hard yank. I looked from Ranger to Tank as I ate the entire thing. My eyes met Tank's and I saw a glimmer of what I hoped was approval.

"I met your son last night," Tank said to Ranger. "I don't know if we shook hands, or if he was trying to kick my hand off your wife's belly. Either way, he seemed strong." Ranger watched as I crumpled the cellophane wrapper in my hand and walked across the room to drop it in the trash. He turned his head toward Tank, but made no response to Tank's statement, so Tank kept talking.

"You married your woman and brought her into our business and our lives at RangeMan, and we all care about her. Every one of your employees will do all we can to keep your family safe. You sent me here with Stephanie to protect her, and I will. You look like hell and you need to get some sleep, so I'll take her to the market so she can shop for underwear. But when we're done, I'm catching the first flight out of here."

He stopped to look at me. "I need to get back to Trenton, and soon. Lula and I have some unfinished business to attend to."

"You're not driving the Cayenne back?" Ranger asked.

"Hell no," Tank snorted. "I'm not driving the Cayenne back. I did eight hundred miles with her. It's your turn." His gaze slid from Ranger to me. His slow wink doused the flame of temper that was threatening to catch fire in my belly. I realized he was teasing and I was happy I'd reached my objective. Tank was going to talk to Lula.

It was early but I knew there'd be no going back to bed now. I left the men to discuss stalker strategy and went to the shower. An hour later I was ready to face the day, and still very hungry.

We went down to the hotel dining room for an early breakfast. If the hotel staff wondered why Mr. and Mrs. Frost had such an early morning visitor, or why the visitor was fondling my thigh under the table, they hid their curiosity well. After breakfast, Tank and I left for the Merchandise Mart and Ranger went back upstairs, to avail himself of the mirrored bed and get some much needed sleep.

My earlier days as a lingerie buyer had given me a little experience with the market, but I'd always been on the wholesaler's side. This time I got to look at beautiful lingerie, with many items being of very limited quantity, and I got to pick and choose what I wanted. I didn't see a single pair of granny panties.

Tank took his job as a bodyguard very seriously. I saw many people step back to give me my space and it made me realize I took his scary demeanor for granted. At one point I looked up at him and said, "How come Lula's not afraid of you?"

"Maybe because I'm afraid of Lula," he replied. "You don't have to campaign anymore, Steph. I'll be seeing Lula tonight. We do have things to discuss."

It was early afternoon when I felt I'd purchased enough inventory to leave the market. Some of my purchases would be arriving at my store in as soon as a week. We arrived back at the hotel to find Ranger looking back to normal. He was talking with a large black man, who eerily resembled Tank and a small woman with brown hair pulled back into a pony tail. I realized I was looking at the Windy City Security version of Tank and myself.

"Meet Gimple and McAllistair, aka Tank and Stephanie," Ranger said. "They're your ride to the airport, Tank. Your flight leaves in," he looked at his watch, "an hour and a half. You'd better get packed."

"I'm ready to go," Tank said. He turned his attention to the pretend Tank, "How were things at the Hyatt?"

"Quiet," pretend Tank answered. "We're going to continue to be you after we take you to the airport. We're driving the Cayenne to Trenton, and then flying back home." Tank raised a questioning eyebrow at Ranger.

"Stephanie and I are going to spend the night here," Ranger said. "We'll fly back in the morning. We'll plan on meeting tomorrow afternoon for a strategy session." Nobody had asked my opinion of the plan, but, unbidden, my mind had flipped to the mirror above the bed and suddenly, it didn't seem so creepy anymore.

Tank left for the airport with the Windy City people and Ranger and I were left alone in the suite.

"You had an early morning," Ranger said. "Are you tired?"

"Yes, I am," I admitted. "Why are we staying another day? I'm finished at the market. It didn't take long today, but I was successful."

"We're staying because I want to," he said. "I've ordered dinner to be served in the suite. We have things to discuss."

"What things?"

"RangeMan business."

My head tilted as I responded, "You're discussing RangeMan with me?"

"RangeMan is yours too, Stephanie. There are changes coming and we need to talk about them. And we're staying because I want… I need, some time alone with you. Away from RangeMan and family. I just want to be with you, so go take a nap." His lips twitched slightly, "You might need the energy later,"

"Promise?" I asked as I headed for the bedroom.

An hour later I slipped quietly out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. I looked at the shower and then opted for a soak in the claw-footed tub. I knew Ranger must have heard the water, and I was disappointed when he didn't join me in the tub. He'd teased me earlier with the reference to my needing energy, and I knew he would deliver on his promise. He had an agenda, and I decided to play with his plans a little. My wardrobe hadn't been packed with seduction in mind. I thought I'd be sans Ranger the entire trip. I had the tap pants and camisole I'd worn last night, but I didn't want Ranger to look at me and remember seeing me standing in the doorway with Tank behind me. Tonight called for something special, and I knew what I'd wear.

I rummaged through Ranger's valise until I found a plain black RangeMan t-shirt. What was more seductive than wearing the RangeMan logo over my breast, and nothing under the shirt? When I opened the French doors and walked into the sitting room, I knew I'd had the right idea. Ranger was staring intently at the screen of his laptop, but when he saw me he snapped the lid shut and walked toward me. As his arms wrapped around me, there was a knock at the door.

"That's room service with our dinner," he said as he looked longingly at my bare legs. "Either put your robe on or disappear while the dinner is set up." I smiled as I backed through the doors into the bedroom. I was glad we were staying an extra night.

When I came back into the sitting room, I was still wearing only the t-shirt. I saw a small table set for two, with a covered dish in the center. There was a basket of bread and a small salad at each plate. Looked like I was back on my healthy eating plan. I knew if I wasn't pregnant there would have been a bottle of champagne chilling.

"What's under the lid?" I asked Ranger.

"Cassoulet."

"What's that?" I asked, thinking the name sounded familiar.

"It's a specialty of the hotel kitchen," he said. "It was recommended by the chef when I called to place the order. It's a stew containing white beans, pork, lamb and veal."

"It smells wonderful," I said as I sat in the chair. Ranger pulled his chair out and moved it closer to mine. We ate in comfortable silence enjoying each other's nearness. I was filled with pleasant anticipation of what was to come later in the evening.

I pushed back from the table and laid a hand on my belly. "I'm full," I announced. "I can't eat another drop." My bowl was still half-full. I looked over at Ranger, who'd emptied his bowl. "Do you want to eat the rest of my cassoulet?" I asked.

His eyes widened a little then crinkled. He burst out with a low rumbling laugh. The sound of Ranger laughing was rare, and usually enjoyable, but he was laughing at me.

"What?" I asked. "I just asked if you wanted to finish my bowl. Are you making fun of me?"

"No," he said, containing his laughter. He leaned toward me and rested his forehead against mine. "When you asked me if I wanted to finish your cassoulet, your pronunciation reminded me of another word… cassolette."

"It's a similar word," he continued, "but it means something entirely different."

"What's it mean?" I asked, thinking there was a joke in this conversation, someplace. I hoped I wasn't the punch line.

"Cassolette is a French word for perfume box," he said, staring at me as if I should understand what he was talking about. I didn't.

"French people are so weird. They make great perfume, I'll give you that. But they have a special word for the box it comes in? That's crazy."

Ranger had been unusually somber all afternoon. But he was smiling broadly at my last comment and I was glad I was amusing him, even if I wasn't sure why.

"Not that kind of perfume, Babe." His eyes dropped to the hem of the RangeMan t-shirt, and his hand slid up my thigh. "And not that kind of box." My eyes widened as I realized what he was saying and I felt the heat as my face turned red.

"Is there any dessert?" I asked, hoping to change the subject. I didn't like feeling naïve. I was a pregnant, married woman, for Pete's sake. I didn't know why I was blushing like a school girl. Ranger pulled me from the chair and wrapped his arms around me. His lips tickled my ear.

"Dessert?" he asked. "Well, that depends, Babe. On whether you let me finish your bowl, of cassolette." He was reveling in my discomfort. Behind the discomfort, there was an undeniable skittering of desire, but he'd irked me with his teasing.

"How is it," I asked, "that you know about French, uhm, perfume and you don't know about the Romanian Rapture?" I'd always been told the best defense was a good offense.

"I didn't say I didn't know," he replied. "I told you I expected you to tell me if I wasn't satisfying your needs." When was I going to learn not to taunt Ranger? It never turned out the way I planned. "We'll have to wait on dessert, though," he said. "I have something I want to discuss with you first."


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N: I have been overwhelmed with the response to this story. If I've missed responding to anyone, it was accidental, and I apologize. I use them for fun and not profit._**

Part 4: Market Strategies

Chapter 15

The meal had been cleared away and my curiosity was rampant. Ranger, usually taciturn, was pacing in the small sitting area. I was starting to get a little nervous. He said he wanted to talk about RangeMan and I didn't think that talk was going to be informational. I thought he was going to ask my opinion, and that certainly would be breaking new ground for us.

"You're starting to make me nervous," I said. "Do you have bad news about RangeMan?"

Ranger ran his hands through his hair. "Stephanie, we're going to have to prove JP is your stalker. And when we do that there will have to be changes made."

"What kind of changes?" I had a sense of foreboding. Ranger was acting like he had bad news to tell me.

"We have a limited client base," Ranger said. "Our clients are loyal and we give them superb service, but they are few in number. Most of the revenue comes from a relatively small number of customers. The O'Malley account comprises a large part of our business. When we prove JP is your stalker, and we will, we will lose a great deal of revenue. There will have to be changes made including some staff layoffs, or at the very least, transfers."

"I'm not sure I understand." I stood from the sofa and walked to stand next to Ranger, who had stopped pacing and was staring at me from his position near the bedroom door. I tugged on his sleeve. "You're acting like losing the O'Malley account is a done deal. First of all, you have to prove JP is the bitch we know her to be. I understand her father may not be happy when you tell him what she's done, but you don't know for sure he'll cancel the contract."

"Babe," he pulled me into his arms and ran his fingers lightly up and down my back. "I will be canceling the contract. We'll prove JP is after you, and then we will take the information to the police. I'll talk to the old man before we turn her in, but we will turn her in. She's made attempts on your life as well as Tank's. And I don't think she was too discerning as to her target when she was driving down the alley next to the bonds office. If it wasn't for Bert's quick thinking we might have lost both you and Connie. JP has to be punished."

"I don't disagree with any of that," I said. "But you may not have to cancel the contract. Maybe Mr. O'Malley will see reason. I don't want his crazy daughter to put the business in jeopardy, and if you lose the O'Malley business that's what she'll be doing."

"I won't compromise on this, Babe. The first order of business when we get back is to find the proof that will put JP away. If we can't prove it, then we may have to take another route. It may be…" I knew what I was going to hear, and I knew I wasn't going to like it. I took a deep breath.

"You're getting ready to tell me," I said, "that you may have to encourage JP. You're acting strange, Ranger, and I think it's because you don't want to tell me you may lead her on to set a trap."

"You're right." He looked relieved I'd been the one to say it. His relief was going to be short-lived.

"I'm not stupid," I said. "I know she has to be caught, and I certainly don't want to go on living in fear of another attempt on my life, but the thought of you and her together is not a good one for me." Ranger started to say something, but I interrupted. "I know I can trust you. I trusted you all along, but I don't trust her as far as I can spit. You do what you have to do, Ranger, to keep me safe. But remember you're in a sticky situation. If you lead her on and she comes on to you, she might expect you to sleep with her. And if you sleep with her, I'll kill you, so you won't have to worry about me, or your son, or RangeMan!"

"Stephanie, be sensible." Ranger was looking shocked at my diatribe. I think he expected me to take the news he might have to 'court' JP calmly, and I wasn't feeling calm. I was feeling pregnant, angry and confused.

Ranger continued, "When we get back tomorrow we are going to go over every piece of information available. We are specifically going to look at the video of the van explosion. We know from the detonator used, she probably set the explosion off manually. There may be a clue we've overlooked. I have no plans to seduce JP O'Malley. I may have to spend time with her, though. If I can make her think there's trouble between you and me she may be forthcoming about what she's done. This talk is a little premature, in any case. The bottom line is you are my wife and I will do anything necessary to keep you and Adriano safe. I want to make sure you understand the repercussions of what that entails."

"I get it, Ranger," I said, pulling myself out of his arms. Now was my turn to pace "You're telling me JP will be dealt with, I'll be safe, and basically I shouldn't interfere with what you do."

"That's part of it," he said. "But the repercussions I'm specifically talking about will be the changes at RangeMan. When the O'Malley account goes, there will be cut backs. Financially, we're fine, both personally and corporately. I know we will pick up other accounts, but it will take a while to recoup the income we'll lose. Boston may be harder hit than Trenton, because O'Malley represents the biggest source of revenue there. I hate to lay off any staff, but it may happen in Boston."

"What about Trenton," I asked. Ranger knew immediately what I was asking.

"I may have to shift some of the staff," he said. "Howdy is the most recently hired, and I know you have a special bond with him. I'll keep him on, but he may have to go to Miami, at least for a while."

"That can't happen," I said. "Contrary to what half of your core team thinks, he's not infatuated with me. He has a new girlfriend and she's from the Burg. I don't want him to go. There must be another way. If you get proof on JP maybe she'll agree to go away, and then we won't have to tell her father and we won't lose the contract." There were tears in my eyes. I knew it wasn't my fault, but now I felt responsible for damaging RangeMan. How could I live with myself, if I caused staff layoffs?

"Babe, it's not your fault." Ranger smiled as he spoke words he'd heard me use so often. Everything will work out and JP will be history in a few weeks. Then maybe our lives will get back to normal."

"Did you ever stop to think, this is normal life for me?" I asked as the tears started to collect in my eyes. Ranger took my hand and pulled me toward the bedroom. "I'm feeling the need for a little dessert," he said.

We made love in the bed beneath the mirror. It was a quiet, sensual and mutually satisfying night, but I was aware Ranger was holding back. The passion I craved was there, but he was keeping it in check. I figured it was some misguided male attempt at protecting the baby. One more way pregnancy had changed our lives. I felt immediate guilt every time I had a negative thought about the pregnancy. We both wanted this baby; there was no question about that. I just wanted control of my body back, but I still had months to go.

I awoke in a tangle of sheets with one arm flung across Ranger's chest. I looked up into the mirror and saw the sheets were tangled only around me. Ranger was lying flat on his back, totally uncovered and awake. His eyes met mine in the mirror and without moving his gaze away, he took my hand in his and moved it off his chest. He lowered it to his abdomen. My eyes followed my hand as he moved it even lower. My fingers curled around the length of him of their own accord. I watched it happen in the mirror, and it wasn't creepy at all. Then I couldn't see the mirror, because Ranger was pulling me on top of him, and I don't think he thought the mirror was creepy either.

The flight home from Chicago went smoothly and a lot quicker than the trip to Chicago had gone. I turned on my phone as Ranger and I exited the plane to find seven new voice-mail messages, all from my mother. It hadn't been since my bounty hunting days that the number had been this high. I called her back immediately, hoping nothing was wrong.

"Stephanie, I've been so anxious to talk to you," my mother said.

"What's wrong," I asked. "Is it Grandma?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just have some very important news for you. Maria Fiorelli is engaged. She was at Mass last Sunday with that nice young man, you know, your friend, Mr. Howdy."

"Howdy!" I said astounded. I'd only been gone two days. "Are you sure?" I asked. "He never said anything to me. Who told you?"

"Well, no one," she said. "But they were at Mass on Sunday, High Mass, and you don't take a casual boyfriend to High Mass. They must be engaged. Everyone is saying so. And they're very happy for Maria. This boy is so much nicer than her last fiancé." I listened to my mom enthuse about Howdy for a few more minutes before disconnecting. Ranger was waiting for an explanation. He been paying attention ever since he'd heard Howdy's name mentioned.

"Burg gossip has it," I told him, "Howdy is engaged. I can't believe it's true. I think he would have told me. I hope it's not true. Not if he's going to lose his job, or get transferred. Maria is Burg through and through. She won't move with him."

"She will if she loves him," Ranger said. "You'd do whatever I asked of you, if it was in our best interest, wouldn't you?"

"Well, uh, sure," I said, wondering what was going to be asked of me. _Sure, I would, maybe_. Ranger smiled. He knew exactly what I was thinking. Darn ESP.

"You can ask him yourself if it's true," Ranger said. "We have a strategy meeting as soon as we return to RangeMan."

We dropped the luggage off in the apartment, and Ranger immediately went down to five. I took a detour through the bathroom to comb my hair and freshen my make-up before I went down. If I was losing my girlish figure, at least I could make sure my hair wasn't scary and my makeup was up to Jersey standards.

I stepped off the elevator to see Tank in deep conversation with the Windy City version of himself. I smiled and gave a little finger wave to pretend Tank as I made my way to the conference room. Ranger, Lester and Howdy were already in the room. There were two empty chairs pulled up to the table. One was for me and the other, presumably, for Tank.

"What's Tank doing with pretend Tank?" I asked Ranger.

"They returned the Cayenne earlier this morning and Tank gave them a tour of RangeMan. Ms. McAllistair is looking at our exercise facilities as she's the physical training coordinator for Windy City. Tank will be here in a few minutes."

"Yeah, Beautiful," Lester chimed in. "She has a lot in common with you, what with the physical training, huh?"

"Put a sock in it, Lester," I said. "I'm pregnant. You guys should give me more respect. You should treat me like Howdy does. He respects me." I turned my focus toward Howdy. "And speaking of Howdy. Is there something you'd like to share with us?"

Howdy looked perplexed, so I took pity on him. "Rumor has it," I said, "that you escorted Maria to Mass on Sunday. And not just Mass, but High Mass. Everyone in the Burg thinks you're engaged. So what's up? Do you have some news to tell us?"

I loved watching the color drain out of Howdy's face. His freckles stood out like pepper on white gravy. "No," he said, "Well, yes, I mean, no. I mean I did go to Mass with her, and she did introduce me to her family, but I'm not engaged."

"Tell that to the Burg," I sighed. The conversation was thwarted as Tank came in and took his place at the table. I wasn't really interested in teasing Howdy anymore as I'd achieved my purpose. If there was any lingering doubt in Lester's warped mind about Howdy and me, I hoped I'd made the situation clear.

Ranger stood and looked at everyone in the room. "I think you're all aware of the recent information we've received regarding JP O'Malley and her accessibility to her brother's XKE. Let me say, while I trust all my men, the information talked about here today stays within this group. We've tracked JP's movement as best we could without arousing suspicion. In every instance it seems she could have been the stalker. But we can prove nothing. I'll turn the meeting over to Tank now."

Ranger sat and Tank stood. He pressed a remote control and the wall mounted monitor blinked on. "This is enhanced video taken by cameras in the parking garage just before the minivan exploded," Tank said. We all sat in silence while we watched JP beep her car unlocked and bend inside to pull blueprints out of the back seat. There were two camera angles bisecting the screen. Binkie was standing very close to her, so when she dropped her blueprints all over the garage floor he was quickly involved in assisting her. She bent to pick a sheaf of papers up and Binkie stopped cold watching the hem of her miniscule skirt ride up. He reached down in tandem with her to help gather the papers. When the video was over, Tank turned to us. I'd seen the event unfold in real time shortly before Tank and I'd left five to head out that morning.

"Did you see it?" he asked. I shook my head. No one else made a comment. I was thinking they hadn't seen anything either, but were hesitant to say so.

"See what." I said, not afraid to appear confused. I was.

"We'll watch again," he said. He reset the screen so we were all watching the same camera angle. "Notice that JP's car is parked next to your minivan. Focus on the movement of her hands." I watched again and this time I saw. Just for a moment when she was scooping up papers, her right hand disappeared behind her leg. She twisted in an attempt to gather more paper and Binkie's gaze was focused entirely on her ass.

"There," I shouted. "She put something under the van."

"It's not conclusive," Tank said. "It's like all the other evidence we have against her. We know she did it, but we can't prove it conclusively."

Ranger took over. "Tank and I have developed a plan. I'm going to spend some time, a significant amount of time, with JP. That will serve two functions. One, we will know her whereabouts and reduce the threat to Stephanie. And two, I will be trying to gain her confidence to lead her into a position to implicate herself as our stalker." There was a sudden silence in the room. I could feel Lester, Tank and Howdy staring at me, but I sat quietly waiting for Ranger to continue.

"This stays among the five of us," Ranger said. "The rest of RangeMan will remain unaware of what's going on. If there is talk about the amount of time I spend with her, don't contribute to it, even if it's to deny any implication of impropriety on my part. I'd like to think the men are loyal enough to me and have enough respect for Stephanie there'll be no talk. Is this clear?"

I looked around the table to see quiet head nods. "It's not entirely clear to me," I said. "Why aren't you including Hector in the group? He is the one working closest to her now, and it was his SUV she stole to try and run me down. Shouldn't he know what's going on?"

"We're not telling Hector," Ranger said, "exactly because of what you said. He needs to act completely normal around her to avoid raising any suspicion. Lester, you and Tank will carry on with business as usual, but with the knowledge of this operation in case you're needed. Howdy, I'm putting you in charge of Stephanie."

"Hey," I said. "I'm in charge of myself."

Ranger dropped the business mode for a moment to shoot me an amused look. "That's undoubtedly so. Perhaps I should say Howdy will be spending a lot of time in your company for the next few days. This is not the time for you to exert your independence."

"I understand that totally," I said. "I'm happy to have Howdy as my shadow. We'll have lots of time to discuss his upcoming wedding and make lots of plans!" Howdy was looking faint. I stood and pushed his head below table level and between his knees. "Slow and deep breaths, Howdy. You'll be okay."

Part 4: Market Strategies

Chapter 16

Two days after Ranger and I arrived back in Trenton I was standing in the middle of my shop. Howdy was my constant shadow and while I didn't mind at all, I wondered if he was bored. He was sitting on the newly carpeted floor. His back was against the wall with his legs stretched out in front of him, the Sunday Crossword in his hands. It looked as though he was completely absorbed by the crossword, but closer inspection made me realize he was sitting with a clear view of the street.

On impulse I walked across the store and bent to drop a kiss on his wild curls.

"Thank you," I said.

"For what?" he asked.

"Thank you for keeping me safe."

He looked up at me, his expression somber. He hesitated and then said, "What's a six letter word for novice?"

"I dunno," I thought for a moment. "Do you have any letters?"

"The last two are an 'i' and an 'e'."

"Rookie," I replied, feeling a little smug at my quick response.

"Huh, I should have been able to figure that one out. I'm the rookie at RangeMan." Something about the way he said it caught my attention. I plopped my ass down on the carpet next to him.

"Howdy, I'm sorry you got stuck babysitting me and I'm sorry you have to bring in all Vinnie's low bond skips. That used to be my job before I got pregnant."

"It's okay, Steph. It's not your fault I get the low bond skips. I am a rookie and I have to prove myself to Ranger and the guys."

"I can't speak for the guys," I said, "but you have nothing to prove to Ranger. He would never put you in charge of watching out for me and his unborn child if he didn't trust you completely. You are one of a very few he's shared the identity of my probable stalker with. Thankfully, guarding me has been an uneventful job lately and while I'm grateful for that, I know it's boring for you."

Howdy's gaze turned to the entrance, as the bells over the door jingled and Lula entered. She turned and talked to someone behind her. "Right this way. She don't have no sign up yet, but this here is the Silk and Satin shop."

Both Howdy and I stood to see Lula usher in a Fed Ex man with his arms full of packages. He made five trips. My order from Baldicott had arrived. The one-of-a-kind items I'd purchased at the Chicago market would be arriving soon, also. There were several display tables constructed by Dillon's cousin Bill in the center of the store.

"Just put them boxes right here," Lula said. "I'll sign for them."

"Wait a minute," I said. "It's my store. I want to sign."

I took the small computer from the delivery man and electronically signed Stephanie M. Mañoso. My grin was from ear to ear as the delivery man left the store. "It's official," I said. "I'm in business."

Lula stood hands on hips and did a slow perusal of the store. I noticed for the first time in a while, Lula wasn't wearing a red, white and blue outfit. She was back to her more typical leopard print wraparound shirt and gold lamé capris. I also noticed she looked toned.

"What's the deal?" I asked. "Aren't you wrestling anymore?"

"Sure I am," she replied. "Turns out I got a talent, and I'm really serious about it. Mary Maggie has been givin' me tips."

Uh oh. Tank had talked to Lula two days ago, and I thought his less surly mood was an indication Lula had come around to his way of thinking.

"I thought maybe you'd give it up," I said carefully feeling my direction. "Tank wasn't happy with your new career choice."

"Tank," Lula's voice came out on a soft sigh, and her mouth curved upward in a goofy grin. She shook her head slightly, obliterating whatever vision she was mesmerized by. "Tank ain't opposed to me mud wrestling. Last couple of nights, I showed him some of my moves and he enjoyed them. He can see without a doubt, I've got a talent."

"Well, that's a surprise," I said. "I thought he _was_ opposed to it. He doesn't trust Pinwheel Soba. He told me so himself."

"That's so," Lula said, as she reached for a box cutter. "Tank don't want me nowhere near him, but I got a contract. Tank went down to negotiate my release and you'll never guess. Ole Pinwheel agreed to cut me loose, on one condition. My debut and finale is going to be one big match. There's gonna be a tag team and guess who my partner is gonna be?"

"Tank?" I ventured.

"Hunh!" Lula snorted. "The Snake Pit is a man hangout. Ain't no man gonna pay good money to see Tank wrestle. That would be one short match, 'cause my Tankie has superior moves, if you know what I mean. My partner is going to be Mary Maggie."

"No way," I said, truly surprised. "I thought mud wrestling was a part of her past."

"She thought so, too," Lula said. "But she's been helping me train, and turns out she misses it. She agreed to help me get out of my contract. Tonight we're working on tag team moves, and she knows some good ones. Like the double dropkick, or the revolving clothesline, or the granddaddy of them all the Flying Dutchman… course with us it will be the Dutch women."

"Wow." I was suitably impressed. Mary Maggie had been a local legend in her day. If she was agreeing to wrestle with Lula as her partner, then Lula must have a talent. "So you're going to have this big match and then both you and Maggie will retire?"

"I can't say about Maggie," Lula said, "but I'm not retiring. Tank says he don't mind if I continue. He just wants to pick the place. He's going to find someplace not as rough as the Snake Pit. You know, someplace whose clientele ain't mainly guys who are out on bail." A safe venue for female mud wrestling in Trenton? Tank was pretty smart. Maybe Lula was retiring after all.

"Things are going good between you and Tank now?" I questioned.

"Damn skippy. We been talkin' every day, and I've been showin' him some of my moves, and he's been showin' me some of his." Her eyes took on the dreamy, faraway look again. I turned to look at Howdy who seemed completely taken in by the crossword he was working, but he didn't fool me. I knew he'd heard every word. I didn't want Lula to start describing her moves, or Tank's.

"Be careful with that box cutter," I warned Lula. "I don't want my lingerie sliced."

"I'm being careful," she said. "Let's get all this stuff open and on the shelves. That way it will look like a real store." We worked together opening boxes and lifting out the lingerie. I took the invoices to the office and spent some time logging in the inventory. Lula was sorting and folding, humming as she worked. She was off key and her song had no apparent tune, but she seemed happy, and that made me happy for her.

When I came back into the main room of the shop, Howdy was flattening boxes and stacking them neatly in the corner. He turned the Lula. "Why are you singing Scaramonga, Scaramonga?"

"It's the words to a song I got on my mind," she said. "It's called the Romanian Rhapsody and I've been singing it ever since the night before last." She met my eye and gave me a broad wink, and I knew I had been right to change the subject earlier.

"Scaramonga is a character in a James Bond novel," I said. "I think you're trying to say scaramouche, and it's the Bohemian Rhapsody you're attempting to sing."

"No, I'm pretty sure it's Romanian," Lula responded, hands on hips.

"Bohemian."

"Romanian," she was grinning widely, "and let me tell you, it's something to sing about."

Before I could respond the bells jingled and the door swung open. In one seamless movement I was pushed behind Lula, as Howdy drew his weapon and stepped in front of us.

"What the fuck…" Joyce Barnhardt's nasally twang bounced off the walls. Joyce had recently had her broken nose repaired, and while it looked fine on the outside, I was betting there was still some internal swelling.

Howdy's gun slipped back into its holster, as Lula slid out from behind him. "I'm sorry, ma'am," Howdy said. "I, uh, mistook…" He wasn't sure what to say. Ranger had given strict orders to keep "Operation JP" on the down low. Fortunately for Howdy, Lula effectively defused one situation, and created another, when she stepped up to Joyce.

"Get your sorry white ass out of this store. We ain't open for business yet, and even if we were we don't want none of yours."

"Out of my way, Fatso. I'm here to speak to the proprietor, not the hired help."

Lula thrust her chin forward and stepped even closer. "Who you calling fat?"

"You, and if you don't move, I'm going to kick your fat ass so hard you'll bounce all the way back to Stark Street, where you belong." Lulu's sharply indrawn breath indicated impending danger.

I stepped around Howdy and said, "She's right, Joyce, we're not open and we don't want your business. And I'd be careful about what I threatened Lula with. Take a look at her. She's been working out and she's bona fide. She's a professional mud wrestler now, and if you think you can take her, put your money where your mouth is. She's taking all comers Friday night at the Snake Pit." I turned to look at Howdy. "Would you show Joyce out?"

Howdy stepped forward and took Joyce's upper arm in his huge hand. Joyce looked at his hand and I could see her calculating finger length and diameter. She raised her free hand and ran one scarlet tipped fingernail cross the back of his hand raising a red welt. "We've met before, I think." She batted ridiculously long eyelash extensions at him. "I remember your beautiful hair." Her talon-like index finger bisected his chest as she drew it down from his neckline to the belt buckle at his waist.

"I'll go peaceably," she said, as she moved toward the door. Howdy didn't relinquish his hold until she stepped through. She pulled a card from the pocket of her black leather jacket and handed it to Howdy. "Here's my card, big guy. Give me a call sometime." Her gaze shifted from his face, to the firearm at his side, and then settled on his crotch. "I so admire a big gun," she said, as she turned and sauntered down the street. Howdy flipped the lock on the door.

"I'm sorry, Steph," he said. "I saw the red hair and I reacted instinctively."

"No problem," I said rolling my eyes toward Lula's direction hoping he'd take the hint and change the subject before Lula realized there was a secret she wasn't in on. "You reacted just right to Joyce."

Lula walked over and unlocked the door Howdy'd just locked. "We need to keep this here door open," she said. "We don't want that bitch, Joyce, to think we're scared of her. I wonder if she'll really show up on Friday night. That'd be something. Mary Maggie and I'd make quick work outta her. You're coming, right, Steph?"

"Sure," I said. "I wouldn't miss it."

"Uh, I don't know," Howdy said, "Ranger might not want you to go there Steph. It's a pretty dangerous place."

"It's not so dangerous," Lula said. "And, anyway, ain't nobody gonna mess with Ranger's woman. She'll have me to protect her if anyone tries." The door opened, jingling the bells once again and we turned to see Ranger standing in the doorway.

"I just ran into Joyce in front of the bonds office," he said. "She said she wanted to hire Howdy as her body guard. To keep her safe from Lula, and then she laughed like a crazy woman. What was that all about?"

"You said it," I said. "She's crazy."

"Babe, can I see you outside for a moment?" I smiled and walked through the door. We walked side-by-side to the alley and turned in. Ranger leaned me against the wall being careful not to press too closely to my belly. I put my arms around him and drew him closer. There was just the smallest hint of resistance. He leaned into me and kissed me and it brought back lots of previous alley memories.

"I'll be home late tonight, Babe. I've got some JP business to attend to. I thought maybe you'd want to spend some time at your parents'. I should be able to swing by and pick you up there around ten."

"What? Does my babysitter have a date?"

"I don't know," he said. "I thought you might like to spend time with your family. Your mother called me and invited us both to dinner, because your Grandma and Osbaldo are coming over. I told her I had to work, but I thought you'd like to go."

"Okay," I sighed. "You're right. I would like to see them. But I'd like to see you, too. Hey what are we doing Friday night? Can we go watch Lula's mud wrestling debut?"

"I don't think so, Babe. I don't want you anywhere near the Snake Pit. It's not a reputable place for anyone, but especially not for my pregnant wife. It's too dangerous."

"But I told Lula I'd be there for her." I said. I sounded like a petulant child, but then I'd just been told to stay away from someplace I really wanted to go.

As if sensing my unvoiced rebellion, Ranger took my chin in his hand and tilted my face up toward his. "This is one time I really mean it, Steph. The Snake Pit is no place for you to be seen."

We walked back to the store and Howdy stepped out on the sidewalk to talk to Ranger. I went inside to finish up for the day. Howdy came back into the store and said, "Ranger says he'll meet you at home, so when you're done here I'll take you back to RangeMan."

Lula came out of the office and said, "I'm headin' out. I got to train with Mary Maggie. I'm really glad you're going to be there to see me on Friday. It's real important to me, us bein' former bounty huntin' partners and all. You were with me during my last mud wrestling at the Snake Pit, and I want you to see it when this one turns out better."

She walked out leaving me standing alone, feeling sad at the thought of breaking my word to her. Howdy was standing motionless giving me a speculative look.

As we pulled in to the RangeMan garage I turned to pick up my pocketbook off the seat. Howdy reached out and stuffed the crossword he'd been working on into the side pocket.

"You can finish this one," Howdy said. "I've filled in about all I can. You take a try at it." I wondered at his odd smirk as I made my way up to seven.


	9. Chapter 9

Part 5: Here's Mud In Your Eye

Chapter 17

Ranger said no. Not once in my adult life had the word been uttered so authoritatively. There was just one problem. I hadn't asked his permission to watch Lula's match. He didn't respond as my boss, because this had nothing to do with my occasional work for RangeMan. He responded as a man telling his wife, 'no'. He hadn't taken it very well a couple of weeks ago when I told him 'no' to sex. Actually, I didn't take it very well either. Why would he think I was going to be docile and give in without a fight?

I'd known better than to say anything in front of Howdy. So I kept my mouth shut, and waited for a more opportune time.

Ranger was still on five finishing up the day's business. I was in the tub, soaking; waiting for the appropriate level of wrinkledness when I realized this was not the time to fight. Okay, Ranger didn't want his wife seen at the Snake Pit. I could see that. Pinwheel Soba was hardly one of Trenton's most upstanding citizens. But how could Ranger object if I wasn't seen. I stood in the tub and hit the lever with my big toe. I watched the bubbly, scented water swirl down the drain and formed my plan. Ranger didn't want his wife seen at the Snake Pit and I didn't want to miss Lula's big night and I thought both things were possible.

Sally Sweet picked the phone up on the first ring. "Stephanie Plum. How the f-fudge are you?"

"I'm great," I said smiling at his choice of expletive. "Are you still driving the school bus?"

"Yeah, and I've got a new band in the formation process. I drive little school dudes in the morning and afternoon, and practice in between. It's going great."

"Sally," I said. "I need your help." I told him about Lula's new mud wrestling career and was surprised to learn he already knew.

"Pinwheel's been publicizing this big time," he told me. "And he's hinting there may be a mystery guest. The place will be packed because everyone's thinking Mary Maggie Mason is going to come out of retirement."

"That's what I'm calling about," I said. "I want to be there but I need to go in disguise. I don't want anyone to recognize me there. I was hoping you could help me."

"I can," he stated confidently. "I've got just the thing. A new red satin jumpsuit cut clear past your belly button. The legs have elastic hems so it will work for your height. I can get my hands on some red Jimmy Choo's to go with it. What size do you wear? Oh, and we'll top it off with a Dolly Parton wig."

"Uh, Sally… You remember I'm pregnant, right?" There was a moment's silence.

"Hmmm. Okay, I'll wear the jumpsuit. And I'll figure something out for you. Who are you trying to look like?"

"I'm trying to look like anyone who's not me. Ranger doesn't think it's seemly for the wife of the CEO of RangeMan to be at the Snake Pit. I need to be incognito."

"We can do that," he said. "No problem." I made plans to meet Sally on Friday and disconnected the call.

I knew Ranger would be home any time so I settled myself on the sofa to wait and picked up Howdy's crossword puzzle to pass the time. I read the clue for forty three-down. Baby carrier. Then I realized Howdy had already filled in the answer. Five letters. S-T-E-P-H. It made sense now, why he insisted I take the puzzle with me. It was his idea of a joke. Was I just a baby carrier to everyone? I used to be a sort of, semi-bad ass bounty hunter, and now I was just a waddling, emotionally unstable pregnant woman. Howdy's attempt at humor fell flat and a few minutes later Ranger opened the door to the sound of my sobs.

He came to the sofa and sat beside me and gathered me into his arms. He held me wordlessly until my sobs dwindled into soft hiccups. Him, holding me until my tears subsided, was getting to be a habit for us.

"Babe?" he questioned softly.

"I don't want to be just a baby carrier," I said. At his perplexed look I continued "Forty-three down. Howdy's idea of a joke. I'm tired of being everyone's joke." Ranger picked up the puzzle and saw the cause of my distress. He picked up the pencil erased my name filled in the correct answer with quick bold strokes.

"Look at 37 across, Babe," he said handing the paper back to me.

"Twisty horned animal," I read, and couldn't help it. I broke into a huge smile when I saw Ranger had filled in the answer as Howdy "I don't think that's right," I said. "The first letter should be an E."

Ranger dropped a soft kiss on my mouth, "Of course it's right," he said. "What would you call his hair if not twisty? Come on; keep me company while I get ready for my meeting with JP. I'll drop you off at your mom's and then pick you up later."

"About this meeting," I said. "You remember what I said about you sleeping with her?"

"Babe," Ranger pinned me to my spot with a direct stare. "I didn't sleep with JP the entire time I spent in Boston. I won't sleep with her now. I won't do anything untoward. I'm just going to let her think there is some animosity between you and me. Once she seems convinced you and I are having some problems we will set up a sting for her. We'll dummy up a situation where she thinks she'll have an open shot at you, and when she acts, we'll get her."

"Well, if it's safe for me to be used as a sitting duck target for JP, why could you possibly object to me going to see Lula at the Snake Pit?"

"We won't be using you for the decoy," he said. "Windy City Security is going to loan us McAllistair for the sting." I was silent considering how much I didn't know about the inner workings of RangeMan. Ranger gave all appearances of keeping me informed and part of the organization, but I was beginning to wonder if I was just window dressing at RangeMan.

All my problems were still here. I had a stalker we knew about, and whom Ranger was presumably gathering evidence against, starting this very evening. I was worried about RangeMan and the changes that would come when the O'Malley account was history. But I'd lost the urge to fight with Ranger about his earlier edict. I had to pick my battles with him and this was a fight I didn't want. I'd get my way in the end. I'd see Lula's match and when it was all over, I'd tell him what I'd done, maybe.

Friday morning I awoke with a little tingle of excitement. I tamped it down. The last thing I needed was a suspicious Ranger. "Who's my babysitter today?" I asked as we ate breakfast.

Ranger hesitated. "Howdy will be with you until late afternoon, but I need him for something else around five. Can you finish at the store before then?"

"Yes," I said, "I have plans tonight." I saw the tiniest muscle twitch. He was expecting me to put up a fight about going to Lula's match. "I'm going to visit Sally. I haven't seen him in forever so we're just hanging out and spending some time at his place. He hasn't seen me since before the pregnancy." I placed my hands on my abdomen and grimaced. "I swear I'm getting bigger by the minute. What will I look like in three or four month's time?"

"Beautiful," Ranger said.

I felt a twinge of guilt. He was obviously preoccupied with JP and RangeMan business, or I never would've been able to hide my plan from him. I knew he didn't want his wife seen at a dump like the Snake Pit. I rationalized not telling him by telling myself, the woman at the Snake Pit tonight wouldn't have much in common with Stephanie Mañoso.

"I'll have Howdy drop you off at Sally's this afternoon," Ranger said. "Call the security desk when you're ready to come home. I'm not sure who's on desk duty, but they'll send someone to get you."

"That's not necessary," I said. "Sally can bring me home. He's saved my life before and he can surely get me home safely tonight."

Ranger pursed his lips. "Alright," he said. "Sally can bring you home. We're keeping pretty close tabs on JP and we've no evidence to suggest she's got an accomplice. Howdy is working an op with Lester and me tonight, so you going to Sally's actually helps out with manpower issues. I've got a busy day and I'll probably be late tonight so don't wait up for me."

Sally walked out of his townhouse to meet me. I opened the door to the SUV and stepped into his hug. We stepped back to eye one another. I was a little disappointed to find he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. He did have full makeup on, though. Something obviously not overlooked by Howdy, who was glaring at him through the open SUV door.

Sally ran his hands over my baby bump and laughed. "Definitely no red jumpsuit for you."

I took a quick peek at an unsmiling Howdy, before I turned around and whispered, "Shhh. It's a secret, remember?"

Sally gave a nod and then turned his attention toward Howdy. He leaned across the console and extended his hand.

"I'm Sally, and you're new."

"Relatively," Howdy responded, ignoring his hand. It wasn't like Howdy to be rude, and I wondered why he'd taken such an instant dislike to Sally.

"Stephanie," Howdy said. "I'll call Ranger and tell him I need to stay with you."

Howdy was not comfortable leaving me with Sally, that much was clear. If I didn't know he had a girlfriend I might have thought he was jealous. "I'll be inside in a bit," I told Sally. "Howdy and I need to have a little chat."

Sally nodded his affirmation and sauntered back into his townhouse. I had the beginnings of a knot of fear in my gut. Had Howdy somehow figured out the plan? It meant a lot to Lula to have me in the crowd tonight, and I wasn't going to let her down.

"Ranger said Sally would take care of you," Howdy said. "But he looks like a fruitcake to me. I think I should stay and watch out for you."

"Howdy, that's not necessary. Ranger indicated he was keeping close tabs on JP. Is that what you're doing tonight?" He nodded. "Well, then," I continued. "I'll be fine. As long as she and I aren't in the same place, there's no danger to me. Take the night off from your babysitting and do some real RangeMan work. I know you must be missing Maria, too. Tomorrow I'll stay home all day and you can spend time with her. I promise. Oh, and by the way, baby carrier…s-t-o-r-k." He gave me a wan smile and pulled away from the curb as I entered Sally's house.

We didn't waste any time. I wanted to be at the club early and slip in unobtrusively, at least as unobtrusively as anyone could when they were with Sally. Sally walked out from the bedroom and set a big box on the sofa table. He rummaged around and handed me what appeared to be a wide ace wrap.

"Go into the bedroom," he said, "and take off your shirt and bra. Wrap this around you until you flatten your chest out." He looked at my chest and frowned. "Pregnancy has been good to you, but it still won't take too long. Keep wrapping until everything is tamped down and it looks like you've gained about 10 pounds."

I went into his bedroom and did as he'd instructed. "I'm done," I hollered through the closed door. "What next?"

"Come on out," he said. When the door didn't open immediately he repeated, "Come, on out, it's not like I've never seen it before."

"You haven't," I said, peeking my head around the still mostly closed door.

"Good point," he said. "But if you're wrapped correctly, I'm still not going to see it. Hurry up, Steph. I've got your new breasts waiting."

I opened the door and walked back into the living room. I trusted Sally. I've seen enough of his stage outfits to know he knew his business. But I wasn't sure about what he was asking me to do. And why did I need new breasts? Wouldn't it be easier just to use my old breasts? I was feeling like a mummy, with bandages from under my armpits down to my waist.

Sally stared at me for a moment, making a slow circle around me to inspect my wrapping technique. "Good," was his only comment. He handed me something that looked like two tube socks sewn together and half filled with sand. "What's this?" I asked.

"Your new breasts," he said. "Hang them around your neck." I did and saw they hung almost to my waist.

"Now put this on." He handed me a red stretchy t-shirt that had the word _foxy_ emblazoned across the front in sequins. A pair of polyester, double-knit black slacks with the center crease permanently stitched in came next. I took the pants and walked back towards the bedroom. When I came out I was dismayed to see Sally holding a pair of red Naturalizer oxfords. I guess the Jimmy Choo's would have to wait for another time. I sat in the chair and bent forward to slip the shoes on my feet. I noticed my breasts swayed to and fro with a natural, yet nasty, movement.

"Now for the accessories," Sally said. He handed me a black belt, which I buckled around my midsection. My new breasts settled in nicely just above the belt. Black cat-eye glasses, complete with silver guard chain came next. The glass in the frames was clear, so when Sally's big hands went on my shoulders and walked me to stand in front of the length mirror at the end of his hallway, I had a good look at myself.

I no longer looked pregnant. From the shoulders down I looked distinctly post-menopausal. The weight of my breasts was pulling my neck forward giving my posture an aged look. My pregnant belly now looked like a typical grandma tummy.

"This is great," I told Sally, "but what about my hair?"

"We're not done yet. I've got just the thing," he said. He went to his bedroom and came back out with a steel-gray curly wig. I scrunched my hair up and pulled the wig down low on my forehead.

"Give me a half an hour to do your makeup," he said. "No one will know Stephanie Mañoso is in the house tonight." I hoped Sally was right. I thought I looked kind of familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It took most of an hour to get the makeup right. I'd aged forty years and when we left his townhouse we were quite a pair. He was almost seven feet tall in his red platforms. He was sans wig, as his own hair was long and curly. The red jumpsuit slit to belly button level looked fabulous on him, and showed off the ruby stud in his navel. I walked quietly beside him. Just your average transvestite and his grandmother, on their way to the local mud wrestling match.

Part 5: Here's Mud In Your Eye

Chapter 18

There was a good crowd already in place at the Snake Pit. The wrestling wouldn't start for an hour and I figured by the time Lula entered the ring it would be standing room only. Sally and I found a table against the back wall where I could see, but hopefully not be seen. In truth, I wasn't too worried. I looked so different from the person who'd walked into Sally's townhouse, I was totally unrecognizable as Ranger's wife. I'd been careful not to share my plan with anyone. Ranger, of course, and Howdy, knew I was with Sally, but they thought I was safely ensconced, deep in an arm-chair, eating popcorn and watching old movies.

The Snake Pit hadn't changed much since I'd last been there. The bar ran along one side with three men stationed behind it. I didn't know them, but judging from the size of their biceps, they also doubled as bouncers. Tables were set closely, allowing for maximum occupancy, and making it difficult for the bikini clad waitresses to make their way from customer to customer, without bodily contact with the clientele. Wait. Maybe that was the plan. A quick look around affirmed the crowd was mostly male and rowdy, and probably drunk. I put my hand protectively over my belly and had a brief moment of guilt for my deception of Ranger.

There was a center aisle that ran from the door all the way to the front of the wrestling ring. At the front the aisle turned both to the left and right and curved around the ring. Tables were set on either side of the main aisle and along both sides of the ring. The mud wrestling took place at the back of the bar, and the area could only be accessed on three sides. The wall behind the ring was curtained and had no public access. It offered an escape route for the wrestlers if things got 'too out of control', which, I'd been assured by Lula, hardly ever happened.

There was another aisle near our table, which went back to the restrooms and a supply closet. I remembered the basic layout from my previous visit here when I was trying to find Eddie DeChooch. That night hadn't ended so well, although, in retrospect, Lula had done pretty good during her impromptu performance in the ring.

The word ring was a misnomer. It was actually a wrestling pit. The floor of the pit sat about six inches below the floor of the bar. It was filled with mud that looked exactly like chocolate frosting. I knew from experience, it didn't taste like chocolate frosting.

Pinned to the curtain behind the ring was a vinyl banner. It read 'Lula the Wondrous Woman & Special Mystery Guest-One Performance Only'. It reminded me of Tank and his negotiations on Lula's behalf and I stretched my neck to see if I could locate him. I was sure he was here.

I turned to Sally, "Stand up and see if you can see Tank," I told him. "I know he's here and it would probably be a good thing if we avoided him." Sally started to stand, but plopped back down as the house lights came up.

A scratchy voice boomed out over the PA system. "Okay, everybody, let's have a big round of applause for Lula, The Wondrous Woman. Lula is a newcomer to the world of professional mud wrestling and she's gonna be real famous someday. She's had plenty of amateur experience, and some of it was right here at the Snake Pit. Put your hands together and welcome Lula. She'll be making the rounds and signing autographs for you all. And the big match starts in just forty-five minutes!"

There was a low murmur from the crowd as the black curtain at the back of the ring parted and Lula stepped out on the side opposite from us. She looked great. Blue sequined hot pants sat low on her ample hips. She was wearing a red bustier with a white star embroidered strategically over each breast. Her sneakers were gold and matched perfectly the short gold cape flowing from her shoulders. She had wide gold cuff bracelets at each wrist, and she looked like she could actually kick some ass.

I was watching Lula make her way through the crowd. She was signing autographs and appeared to be completely comfortable with her new celebrity status. I thought I saw a brown bald head in the area near the back of the main aisle, but I couldn't get a good look. I nudged Sally again.

"Stand up," I told him. "I'm pretty sure Tank is sitting over by where Lula is now, but I can't see over the crowd." Sally obligingly stood and sat back down.

"Yep, that's him," he said. "And he's with a couple of RangeMan guys. One of them is that Howdy guy who dropped you off at my place. I think your disguise is pretty good, but if he sees me, he's gonna wonder where you are."

I pushed my chair back and stood up and twisted side-to-side to get a better look. Across the room, Howdy was sitting with his back to me. The sight of corkscrews of red curls caused my heart to beat an irregular cadence. Next to Howdy sat Lester, scoping out every woman that walked by. Directly across from Howdy, Tank sat kicked back in his chair. His arms were crossed, and his legs were casually extended into the aisle. He was statue still, his eyes following Lula's every move.

I'd asked Howdy earlier in the day if his work tonight was keeping tabs on JP and he answered yes. I sat down and leaned over to Sally. "I could be in some big trouble here," I said. "I see three of Ranger's guys in this bar, and I'm thinking Ranger could be here, too. You're taller than me, stand up and see if you can see him.

Sally, sighed. "These shoes are f-fudging killing my feet." He pushed back his chair and stood for the third time. I grabbed his hand and pulled him back in the chair when I realized people were looking at him. I didn't know about Les, but Howdy would recognize Sally and I figured we needed to keep a low profile. It was just my rotten luck. I was sure Ranger would be here eventually and I thought JP would be with him. It was starting to make sense why he didn't want me here.

A shadow fell over the table. I looked up to see Lula standing in front of me. She looked magnificent. Her hair was in finger waves and sparkled with glitter. "What in the hell are you doing here, dressed up like your Granny?" she asked me.

"It's complicated," I said. "Ranger told me he didn't want me to be seen here and I thought if I was in costume no one would recognize me."

"Hmmm," she said. "I imagine you're safe. Not everyone's got a trained eye like me."

"I don't think I'm safe," I said. "Howdy knows I'm with Sally and if he sees Sally, he might figure it out. And Ranger knows I'm with Sally. If he shows up I'm in big trouble."

"Listen here, Steph." Lula said. "I been standin' here trying to figure out how to tell you. Ranger's here." She tilted her head toward the far back corner, "And he ain't alone."

"Crap," I said. "Crappity, crap, crap, crap. Sally, you've got to leave, right now." I turned to Lula, "Where's the back door?"

"Right down this hall," she said. "It's a private exit, but I can show you. C'mon Sally, let's get you outta here."

"I can't leave Stephanie here," he protested. "I need to watch out for her."

"That's okay," Lula said. "I'll take care of her."

"I can take perfectly good care of myself," I said, my temper flaring. "I'm pregnant, not brain dead."

"If Batman told you not to come, and he sees you here, you'll wish you were brain dead. Now come on, both of you." She grabbed me by the back of the collar and pulled me from the chair, unintentionally lifting my breasts a couple of inches. Her eyes widened as my boobs swung back and forth like pendulums. We made quick time down the hallway, and Lula pushed Sally through the door and out into the alley.

She turned to me, "Ain't no one gonna look twice at you if Sally ain't with you. He did a pretty good job. If you didn't look so much like a plumped up version of your Granny, I wouldn't have figured it out." She opened a door to the storage room and pushed me in, closing the door almost shut. A small shaft of light filtered in from the hallway.

"Now, what's going on?" Lula asked. "You're here dressed up like your granny and your husband's sitting in a dark corner making eyes at a Joyce Barnhardt look-alike."

I felt a sick pull in my stomach. Adriano was kicking and I was afraid I was going to throw up. "What do you mean, making eyes?" I said.

"They're talking," Lula said. "Real serious like. I don't think he knows I saw him. He ain't dressed in black. He's wearing jeans and a white shirt and he looks hot."

"Oh my gosh," I moaned. "Ranger told me I couldn't come here. He told me to stay home and I didn't want to disappoint you by not being here. So I had Sally make me unrecognizable, but apparently not that unrecognizable. I thought I could sneak in and sit with Sally and enjoy your match. I thought Ranger didn't want me to be seen here because, well, it's kind of a dive. Now I think he didn't want me to be here because he knew he was going to be here. The woman he's with is my stalker. He's trying to win her confidence so she'll tip her hand and they can get the proof they need to have her arrested. He means to send her to jail."

"She's the one that tried to blow you and Tank up in the minivan?" Lula questioned.

"Yes," I said. "She's the one that tried to run me down in the alley. Ranger spent time with her when he was in Boston last year and she came to Trenton to carry on where they left off. Only problem is, she found out he was married. You think that would make her pissed at him, but she's so crazy, she's trying to take me out."

"I'm many things, but crazy isn't one of them." The sound of JP's voice took my breath away. The door to the store room opened and I felt cold steel of what I knew to be a gun barrel pressed against the back of my neck.

"I don't like being played for a fool, Mrs. Mañoso. Just my good luck, I came looking for ladies' room, got lost and heard you and your friend talking. Now, this is what we're going to do." She looked at Lula. "You're going to stay in this room and not make a noise. Stephanie's going to leave with me. We're going to turn left and walk down the hall and right out that back door."

"You can't" Lula said. "That door is alarmed, and I don't know the code. If you open that door the whole club will hear the alarm."

"I know who you are," JP said to Lula. "And I know that big black guy you hang around with, Tank. He's sitting out there at a table near the aisle. You stay in here and keep quiet. Stephanie and I will leave and walk out through the front door and if you stay quiet, no one will be hurt."

JP turned me around to face the door and moved the gun down my spine. "I'm going to walk two steps behind you," she said. "When you leave this room, you head straight for the door. If we have any trouble leaving this place you're a dead woman."

She turned back to Lula. "Stay in this room for two minutes and don't make a sound. Is that clear?" Lula nodded her head, but I heard her mutter as we walked through the door, "Clear as mud, bitch."

My eyes scanned the room, but I didn't see Ranger. Lester and Howdy were a distance away. Howdy still had his back to me, and Lester was totally focused on the waitress who was bent low over his table delivering his drink. Tank was missing from the table. I turned my head to look for him and felt JP bump into me from behind. "Keep moving," she said in a gruff voice. "I don't want to kill you inside this bar, but I will if I have to, and in the confusion, no one will be able to prove I was the one with the gun."

I walked in a straight line on legs that felt like jelly. I didn't want to go through the door, but I didn't have much option. I skirted around the wrestling ring and started to make my way down the short straight aisle that led outside. I sensed rather than saw movement on my left side. I looked up to see Mary Maggie rushing toward us. She was resplendent in a silver sequined string bikini, her former trademark. Her blonde hair was flying out behind her and she was moving so fast I almost didn't see it. Her arm came up behind my head and I heard a muffled thunk as her hand came in contact with JP. I swung around in time to see JP reel backward. The gun clattered to the floor unseen by the crowd who was now on their feet, thinking the show had started. I should have run, but I couldn't move. I sank into a chair vacated by someone who was rushing the ring.

They were chanting _Maggie, Maggie,_ and Maggie didn't let them down. She shoved JP between the ropes and Lula who had somehow gotten herself into the ring grabbed JP by the wrists and pulled her all the way in. Mary Maggie, in a catlike move, vaulted into the ring. Lula pulled JP to her feet. Mary Maggie jumped into the air and scissor kicked JP across the neck and they both fell to the floor.

Lula grabbed JP under the arms, lifted her and began swinging her in circles around the ring. Mud was flying everywhere. All three women were covered, but while JP looked like she was in shock, the other two wore their mud like a badge of honor. Lula eventually got dizzy, lost her balance and fell, dropping JP in the process. When JP rose to her knees and tried to stand, Mary Maggie fell forward on top of her, and they were both spread-eagled in the mud. The crowd was going wild. I was too mesmerized to do anything but watch. Lula had somehow alerted Mary Maggie about me and they had saved me.

JP was clawing her way towards the edge of the ring. Her fingers wrapped around the corner post and slowly she began to heave her body toward the edge. Lula grabbed for her leg, but came away only with her shoe. Mary Maggie had apparently winded herself when she fallen on JP, and she was slow to sit up. JP rolled under the rope and stood looking wildly through the crowd.

She started to move forward and the crowd parted, as she made a beeline for the door, slipping and sliding, and leaving a trail of mud. The crowd turned as one, myself included, and watched her run through the door. Laughter and applause erupted among the patrons. Above the noise of the bar came the sound of squealing brakes and breaking glass, as the front window caved in. The crowd scattered, some people diving under tables. I saw four large men moving through the crowd, three of them in black. Ranger was the first one out the door followed quickly by Tank, Lester and Howdy. Lula was at my side pulling me back toward the tables where Sally and I'd been sitting.

"You alright?" she asked. At my nod she burst into a big smile. "Damn skippy you are. I saved your ass."

The crowd started funneling through the door and Mary Maggie and Lula stood on each side of me. We moved as a unit through the door to see the night air laden with a cloud of dust. We could see a city bus tilting drunkenly on the sidewalk. One end was smashed against the front wall of the Snake Pit. It wasn't too long until police sirens could be heard, and the crowd thinned out with amazing quickness. Lula stayed by my side and Mary Maggie went back inside the bar. We stood at the fringes of the crowd. I was trying to be vigilant, on the lookout for JP.

"I didn't stay quiet like she told me to," Lula said. "I left the room as soon as you did and I saw Mary Maggie. I gave her a hand signal for the clothesline move and pointed towards JP. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew I meant business so she got JP away from you. Are you okay?" She reached out her hand and rubbed my belly.

"Yes," I said. "I'm okay. I hope JP didn't get away." I still had the small hope I'd be able to slink away into the night and be tucked nice and warm into bed when Ranger got home. I looked around at the thinning crowd and the scene of destruction. A car was sitting crumpled on the sidewalk. No one was inside, but it had mowed down two parking meters before it came to a rest in front of the city bus. I heard Lula's gasp and turned to see her staring wide-eyed at the back of the bus. There were still a couple of passengers sitting in the bus, but I didn't immediately see what had caused her concern.

"What?" I asked. "What do you see?"

She stepped back so I'd have a better view and pointed toward the back axle of the bus. Two legs were sticking out from underneath the back wheel. One foot still wore a Louboutin pump, and the legs were lying in a puddle of mud. Nausea rose in my throat. I was having a left and right brain moment at same time. I was feeling relief my stalker was dead and I was feeling horror. My stalker was dead. Ranger, Tank, Howdy and Lester were somewhere in the crowd. I needed to leave, and soon. I turned side-to-side trying to figure my best route of escape. The police sirens were loud and getting closer, and when the cruisers pulled up I needed to be gone. Once again I heard Lula gasp. I swung around and bumped directly into Ranger.

His eyes were hard, obsidian orbs in an expressionless face. He reached out a hand and slowly pulled the gray wig from my head. There was an indrawn breath from someone dressed in black as my hair tumbled free around my face. His other hand came up and yanked the glasses from my nose. He unlooped the silver chain from around my neck and threw the glasses to the ground. His eyes never left mine. This was Ranger in pissed mode. I'd never seen it directed my way before and I had a very sick feeling in my stomach.

I couldn't break the eye contact, but I was aware we were surrounded by RangeMan personnel. He dropped his hand from my arm and turned his head in the general direction of Howdy and Lester. His voice was low, soft even, but it carried clearly on the night air. His enunciation was clipped.

"Get her out of here."


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: I've been posting two chapters at a time, but today's post is just one chapter, as the only thing left after this is the epilogue. I have been overwhelmed with the reviews and interest in this story. If I've missed reponding to anyone, it was unintentional. As always, I use them for fun and not profit.**_

Part 5: Here's Mud In Your Eye

Chapter 19

Lester made a move toward my side, in response to Ranger's command. "Stay here," Ranger ordered Lester, "Howdy, you take her."

Howdy's arm was gentle as it wrapped around my shoulders. In less than a minute I was ensconced in a RangeMan SUV. I was in shock, and although it might seem natural after I'd seen JP's legs extending from under the bus, I was in shock from something entirely different. Ranger was beyond pissed. I'd never seen anger emanating from his eyes like it had earlier. I'd seen his eyes black and his mouth in a tight line before, most notably when I'd fallen from the cabinet at Stiva's house and he'd caught me. He'd thought for a moment I'd been dead. They way he'd looked at me tonight was more in the line of the way I imagined he would have looked at Stiva, if he'd gotten the chance. I'd gone against his wishes that night, too.

Howdy was silent for most of the trip, and I was as well. We were about a mile from RangeMan when he spoke. "I knew you were there."

"You knew?" I asked. "How?"

"I don't know how," he said. "I didn't see you, but I was sure you were there. The minute I saw that Sally guy earlier today, I knew there was something fishy going on. Then, when I was sitting at the table at the Snake Pit, I knew you were there. I can't explain it, but I knew. I started looking for you, but I was looking for you, not an old lady."

The spidey sense thing Howdy and I had going on was a little unnerving. The only other person I felt it with was Ranger, and that was on a whole different level. Howdy could always sense when I was in danger. It probably worked both ways, but I wasn't sure because Howdy had never been in danger. It was always me. I gave my head a shake to toss the curls out of my eyes. Maybe it was the curls. Maybe my curls and Howdy's curls gave off some sort of energy that gave us ESP. My introspection was cut short when Howdy started talking again.

"I didn't know what to do," he said. "I thought Ranger would listen to me, but he was with JP and we were there to watch only, unless there was trouble. I didn't say anything to Tank or Lester, because Tank was preoccupied with Lula, and Lester was preoccupied with every other woman in the place. In the end, I just decided to say nothing and keep my eyes open. I never did see you, until Ranger pulled your wig off. I guess he has spidey sense too, because I don't think he would have recognized you without it."

"I think he does have it," I agreed quietly. Howdy pulled the SUV into a parking stall at the back of the RangeMan garage, and got out. I searched the interior for Sally's gray wig and my purse. The wig was MIA, but I found my purse on the floor. Just as I reached to open the door, Howdy pulled it open for me. He stretched out a hand and grabbed mine to steady me. His eyes opened wide as my breasts swayed to and fro' with the impact of my feet on the garage floor. We stared at each other for a moment and both broke into grins, his open and engaging, mine a little rueful.

"I'm glad you and the baby are safe," he said giving my hand a squeeze. "The evening didn't go exactly as planned, especially for JP, but you don't have a stalker anymore and you're not injured."

"Thanks, Howdy," I appreciated his words, because I thought maybe they'd be the only kind words I'd hear for awhile. I hadn't thought in terms of ridding myself of a stalker. My mind had been reeling back and forth between the image of Ranger's cold eyes and JP's mud soaked legs protruding from the bus, like a parody of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Howdy acted hesitant to leave, but I was in no mood for company. "It's okay," I told him. "I'm going upstairs and I'll stay there until Ranger comes home. I think your babysitting duties are over." I gave him a smile and a little finger wave as I walked toward the elevator.

The apartment was quiet without the usual noises of night. I turned my head to watch the blue luminescent numbers click off the minutes. Each one seemed like an hour as I laid waiting for Ranger. Eventually I drifted into a restless sleep, and when the click of a lock turning woke me, it reverberated through the apartment like a gunshot. A quick look at the clock caused me to shift my eyes to the window where I could see the soft light of an early dawn edging in under the hem of the draperies.

I waited for what seemed like forever, for Ranger to come into the room. There was an absence of sound, but Ranger was notorious for his stealth. The apartment had been enlarged to twice its original size a few months earlier, and we now had a guestroom. Was that why I didn't hear Ranger? Was he so angry he'd moved out of our bed? I wanted and I didn't want the answer, in equal measure.

The covers slipped off the bed as I pushed them away. My feet hit the floor, and in my panic I nearly tripped over the comforter as I made my way to the bedroom door. I made a cursory glance toward the living room before I turned to go down the hall to the guestroom. I stopped and turned back, doing a double take.

Ranger looked unfamiliar in a white shirt and jeans. He was sitting in the big leather chair; his head tipped back exposing a long column of throat. His elbows rested on the over-stuffed chair arms and his hands were collapsed in his lap, from what I was sure had been a steepled position. He was asleep. I stood and watched the slow rise and fall of his chest and listened to his quiet breathing. After a few minutes, I moved to the sofa. We were both motionless, his sleep being deep and my observation of him intense.

The breathing remained constant, without change, but the energy changed in the room. It was a palpable force. I let my eyes drift up toward his face and when our eyes met I had to hold my breath to keep from gasping. There was no blank expression, just the opposite. Emotion had his face contorted. I saw anger, and maybe, I saw hurt.

He didn't speak, just stared at me. When I couldn't stand the silence anymore I said, "You're home late. Is everything taken care of?"

"Yes," his voice was flat betraying none of the emotion I saw on his face.

"What happened," I asked.

"Santos stepped up, and spun a believable tale to the Trenton PD, about being at the Snake Pit with JP. He said she challenged Lula and Mary Maggie, and when she was defeated she ran from the bar. The rest of the story was true, so it was corroborated by the bus driver and several eye witnesses. Then Lester and I went to see the old man, and JP's brother to tell them."

"Oh no," I said. "Her father. Is he okay?"

Ranger shrugged his shoulders. "He's as okay as you can be when you lose a child." His eyes were focused on my belly.

"I, I'm sorry," I stammered, "about JP I mean. I know she was my stalker, but…"

Ranger stood from the chair and faced me. "I don't give a flying fuck about JP," he said, interrupting me. "She was an unbalanced woman who put her own wants before anything else, and she would have killed to have her way. Lula stood next to Tank tonight, and sold the Trenton PD her story about JP challenging her and Mary Maggie to a match." I felt ill. Lula hated cops and yet she lied to them to keep me out of the story.

"I don't know how to deal with this," Ranger said.

"Deal with what?" I asked.

"I told you once, Stephanie," he said, "that I had more muscle, but you had all the power. I don't know how to deal with that. I can't take you to the mats as I would with any other employee who disobeyed me. I can't walk away from you, because you're my wife, and I took a vow. Until death do us part. I don't understand why you'd knowingly put your life, and the life of my unborn child in danger."

"I didn't," I said. "I didn't knowingly put my life or Adriano's in danger. You told me not to go to the Snake Pit. I thought you meant you didn't want me to be seen there, so I thought if I went in disguise everything would be fine. I'd be there for Lula and no one would see me. If you'd told me I shouldn't go because you were taking JP there, I'd never have gone. I'm not an idiot. You can't just order me around Ranger."

"No shit."

"What now?" I asked.

"Now," Ranger said, "I'm going to the gym and then I'll shower and go to work. At least I can quit worrying about staffing problems. The O'Malley account is safe. The old man and Brian actually thanked me for what I did last night. The installation is complete, so it should be business as usual." He got up and walked into the bedroom. I remained unmoving on the sofa until he left the apartment a few minutes later.

After Ranger was gone, I dressed quickly and pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail. I didn't shower and I didn't put make-up on. I just wanted to be gone when Ranger came back to the apartment. I took the stairs, because I didn't want to wait on the elevator, then I stood in the garage staring at the RangeMan vehicles. I was indecisive for a moment, and then opened the door to Ranger's turbo and slid in. Somewhere in the building, someone was watching me and I knew I'd be tracked. That was fine with me, because I wasn't interested in going off the grid. I just needed to be alone.

I parked on the street in front of the store and let myself in, locking the door behind me. The store was starting to look like an actual place of business and I'd be open within two weeks. When Lula and I'd stocked shelves last week I'd imagined where I'd place the baby carrier, and later on the play pen. I walked to the far wall and leaned back looking out over the stocked shelves, mostly silhouetted in shadows from the early morning light. Slowly, I slid down the wall and sat on the soft carpet. The store felt new, and it no longer had the musty smell I'd associated with Mary Maggie's book store.

I'd fallen into and out of bounty hunting. The store represented the first career choice I'd made and I was proud of what I'd accomplished. I felt grown-up. Adriano started turning somersaults and I realized I'd made another choice as well, and this one I wasn't so proud of.

Being pregnant was a choice and how I handled the pregnancy was also a choice. I settled in for some serious thinking.

After an hour, the sounds from the street brought me out of my introspection. I realized the day had started and I was hungry. I stood, took one look around the store and left, locking the door behind me. I made my way down the block to the bonds office. I knew there'd be donuts.

Lula was in the middle of telling Connie about the events of the last evening. She made no attempt to hide the fact she was talking about me. She just held the donut bag toward me and kept right on talking. I grabbed a glazed and parked my ass on the sofa to listen.

When she was finished she turned to me and said, "Well, I guess my mud wrestling career is over. There ain't anywhere else in Trenton that has mud wrestlers, and the Snake Pit is gonna be closed for repairs for a long time. How you doing, Stephanie?"

"I'm okay," I said. "I owe you my life, Lula."

"You ain't gonna do that weird shit, where you follow me around until you can save my life to make us even are you?" she asked. I smiled and shook my head.

"Well, that's good, because the way I look at it we're even now. Everything okay with Ranger?"

Again I shook my head, but this time the tears fell. Before I could explain the door opened and Tank walked in. He went straight to Lula and wrapped her up in a huge hug. When he turned and saw me, he came and sat beside me.

"I'm going to give you some advice," he said. "Somebody once said, 'Learn from my mistakes', so I'm telling you go back to Haywood and talk to him."

I gave Tank a watery smile and said, "Thanks, for throwing my words back at me. The thing is, I don't think Ranger is in the mood to talk."

"Oh, he is," Tank said. "Give me an hour and then go see him,"

"I don't know," I said.

"I'm asking you to do this for my godson," he said. "Go talk to him, please." I was a sucker for the word please, even when Tank said it. I nodded my acquiescence and Tank turned and gave Lula a slow appraisal. He winked at her and said, "Later, baby," as he walked out the door.

When I exited the elevator on five an hour later and made my way to Ranger's office I heard Tank's raised voice. "Get the sand out of your vagina. Quit being a pansy-assed coward, and talk to her. Man-up, Ranger. You owe her the chance to work this out."

"Remember your position here," Ranger growled.

"I've never forgotten my position here," Tank returned. His voice was full of tightly controlled anger. "I'm not here as a RangeMan employee. I'm here as your friend, and as her friend. You're the best at everything you do. It's time to start being a good husband and work this situation out with Stephanie. You know what happened last time there was conflict. You went to Boston. You can't run away again."

"You don't know what you are talking about," Ranger said. "There was more to that story than you knew." The sound of something crashing against the wall made me partly hesitant and partly anxious to enter the room. Hesitant, because I didn't want to be the focus of the wrath of Ranger, but anxious because I didn't want the conversation to escalate into violence between the two of them.

"Bullshit!" Tank exclaimed. "You left because you were full of guilt because you thought you'd caused Steph to lose the baby. This situation with JP arose out of that original action of yours and you're still feeling guilty. You can't run away and leave her and the baby this time, so you're working your guilt out as anger with Stephanie."

"Where'd you buy your fucking psychology degree?" Ranger asked. His tone was so derisive I had to intervene before there was an explosion of violence.

I stepped into the doorway. Ranger was standing behind his desk and Tank was in front of it, and testosterone was bouncing off the walls.

Ranger saw me first, then Tank turned around to see what had caused the grimace on Ranger's face. "Don't fight because of me," I said. "I've ruined enough around here. I couldn't bear it if I ruined the two of you."

Ranger turned to Tank, "Get out," he said. Then he motioned to me. "Come in."

Tank walked through the door and I'd barely moved inside when I felt the whoosh of air as the door slammed shut.

I took a deep breath and tried to relax my bunched muscles. "You said earlier you didn't know how to deal with this. I do. We can talk. It may not solve anything, but at least you'll know why I did what I did."

Ranger nodded and then said, "Upstairs."

When we were in the apartment I didn't waste any time. "I'm sorry," I said. "Going to the Snake Pit was wrong. I know it's a dive and I shouldn't have gone. Even in disguise, I'm a magnet for disaster."

"You shouldn't have gone, because I told you not to go. You disobeyed me." He turned away from me and stood staring at the wall. Goodbye to meek, penitent Stephanie.

"Oh, wait just a minute," I said, "I shouldn't have gone. I agree with that. But I don't remember vowing to obey you. That wasn't part of our vows. I'm my own boss."

"What about honor, Babe? Did you vow to honor me?" I noticed the word Babe, and my heart felt the first flicker of hope. He continued. "Did you vow to love me? How is going against my wishes honoring me? It's not the act of a woman in love. It's not the act of a woman concerned for the safety of her baby. Did you think before you acted, or did you just go off half-cocked in an attempt to get one over on me?"

"I love you," I said, "and I love our baby. I can't explain why I went against your wishes yesterday. Except that you gave me no real reason. If you'd told me why, I might have been more prepared to listen. I wouldn't knowingly put myself, or Adriano in jeopardy as you accused me of doing. I thought you just didn't want your wife to be seen at a dive like the Snake Pit. I thought going in a costume was clever, because your wife wouldn't be seen there and Lula would have my support in the audience."

Ranger turned to look at me and I became aware my hands were cradling my belly protectively. He took my arm and moved me toward the armchair. His hand on my arm was our first physical connection since he'd seen me outside the Snake Pit and I covered his hand with my free hand. I wanted to maintain the contact.

He sat and pulled me on his lap. He was quiet for a long moment and his hand started to move softly along the small of my back. "You're right," he said. Another long silence followed as I wondered what I was right about. "I should have told you I was going to be with JP. I didn't because on some level I felt guilty about spending time with her, even though there was a hidden agenda. I'm sorry for that. But it doesn't make what you did any less irresponsible."

"And you're right about that," I said. "I'm sorry." I'd been successful up to that point, but I felt the tears threatening. "I don't know what to do to fix it. Ever since I've been pregnant, my life has been about what I can't do. No beer, no junk food…well, not much. No unhealthy behaviors. When you said 'no' to my being at the Snake Pit, it was the last 'no' I wanted to hear."

Ranger ran his hands through my hair and pulled me to him for a soft kiss, which was broken up by my sobbing. Would these hormones ever return to normal? "It's a start, Babe. I'm not sure we're through this, but I'm thinking we'll get through it. Tank said I was the best at what I do. I want to be the best husband, and the best father but I'm not there yet". He reached out and tugged on one of my curls.

Tears were running uncontrollably down my face now. "I'm not the best either. I love you and I want our baby, and I want you."

"I love you too, Stephanie. You and Adriano are my life. We need to quit playing games with one another. You need to realize I'm always on your side."

"I'm always on your side," I said. "I just need to know what your side is."

He pulled my face close to his and his lips found mine. The kiss started as a soft meeting of him and me, but it changed and his mouth became hungry. He was reestablishing a connection in a way that was very pleasurable for me, and judging from the way he suddenly shifted me on his lap, it was pleasurable for him too.

"I didn't sleep last night. Let's go take a nap. I want to hold you and Adriano close to me," he said.

"You want to sleep?" I asked.

"Eventually."

As we walked arm in arm toward the bedroom I asked him, "Is this a pot-hole in the road to happily ever after?"

"Babe, it's a full-fledged, fucking sinkhole. But I'm willing to climb out of it if you are.

_**Not quite the end...TBC**_


	11. Chapter 11

RangeMan Insecurity

Epilogue

I couldn't put it off any longer. Adriano was past due to make his appearance, and I had to think about what I'd been avoiding for the entire pregnancy. Labor pains. I had performance anxiety. Having this baby, even with the epidural I'd planned for, was going to be one big pain in the ass. The thought of what was going to happen to me gave me a monumental eye twitch, and the heck of it was there was nothing I could do about it. I was afraid of making a fool of myself in front of Ranger. What if I lost my mind and started shouting obscenities at him. When we'd gone on the hospital tour the labor and delivery nurse told me it could happen.

I'd looked up at Ranger with a horror-stricken expression on my face. He'd leaned down and whispered, "Babe." I didn't know if that meant he'd understand if I called him a horrible name, or if it was a threat not to.

Today had been my last regularly scheduled appointment with the obstetrician and I'd had to go alone. Ranger was once again tied up with the O'Malley account. Adriano was a week overdue. I'd been assured everything was fine and I wouldn't have to wait longer than one more week. If I didn't go into labor on my own, I'd be induced. I was ready, because I was miserable. I wasn't comfortable standing, sitting, or even lying down. I felt like a big swollen blob. My walking was limited to short distances, because Adriano was pressing against a nerve and I had to drag one leg behind me. The hormone induced tear production that had been so prevalent during my pregnancy had gotten worse.

I drove the SUV back to RangeMan and parked in the space closest to the elevator. Everyone left it open for me. After the minivan fiasco, I adopted a fleet SUV. It wasn't exactly a secret sex trick, but I'd become adept at one of those '_I'll promise you anything, Babe'_ moves, so I knew I'd be getting a sports car for my own personal use after the baby was born. The infant seat, which had weathered the explosion, was currently strapped into the Cayenne.

It was mid-afternoon, and Ranger was still at the O'Malley site. Brian O'Malley was in charge of the Trenton operation, and he and Ranger were tweaking the manpower requirements to adequately provide security for the expanding construction business.

Lester had done a good job, along with Tank and Lula, and the truth of JP's actions had never come out. O'Malley and Sons had remained the flagship account of the Boston office and the Trenton account was proving to be lucrative as well. Ranger and Lester had represented RangeMan at the funeral, so I'd never had to come face-to-face with Mr. O'Malley.

I shuddered, thinking of that night. The horror of JP's death lingered with me, and while I felt relief at no longer having a stalker, I felt sadness at the waste of her life. But there was good that came out of that night. Ranger and I were closer than ever. He had quit telling me what I could and couldn't do, and when he asked me to do something he always explained the reason behind his request.

In turn I began to think before I acted, and we shared everything. Our conversations had become an important part of our relationship, and that was good because I was learning all sides of the business and all sides of my husband.

My phone rang as I was exiting the elevator. It was Ranger.

"Hi," I said. "I'm still pregnant, but the doctor did say it could be anytime. If I don't go into labor on my own, they'll induce me next week. I don't know if I can make it another week."

"You'll make it," he said. "I just wanted to let you know I'll be home for dinner. We can call for Chinese because Ella's unavailable this afternoon."

"I could make peanut butter and olive sandwiches," I said.

"We'll call for Chinese," he said, and he disconnected.

I dropped my keys on the silver tray on the credenza and kicked off my shoes. I made my way into the bedroom and laid down in my thinking position. I couldn't breathe. I got up and walked back to the living room and flopped down in the leather armchair. There was a half-worked crossword puzzle on the coffee table. I picked it up and looked for a pencil. I wasn't up to ink mode yet. My phone rang and I saw by the caller ID it was Lula. She was running the store alone for the afternoon, as I hadn't planned on going back after my doctor's appointment.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Stephanie you gotta come down here right away. There's trouble." She sounded agitated.

"What kind of trouble?" I asked.

"Roger, the UPS man, just delivered the shipment from Baldicott and it's all white cotton, old woman panties and bras…like your granny would wear."

"My grandma wears thongs and miracle bras," I said.

"This is a serious situation here," Lula said. "Don't be making no jokes about your Granny. You got to get down here." I wasn't joking about my Grandma.

"Alright," I said. "I'll be right there." I sighed as I walked to the hall and shoved my swollen feet back into my shoes. I took the elevator to the parking garage where Howdy was getting out of an SUV.

"Hey Steph," he said. "Whatcha doing?"

"I'm on my way to the shop." I told him. "Lula is having an underwear emergency." His eyebrows raised and disappeared behind his fringe of red-orange curls. "An erroneous order," I told him. "Not her personal underwear." He seemed relieved.

"I'm not doing anything," he said. "Want me to drive you?"

"Sure," I said, glad of the company. We made the trip discussing the difficulty of last Sunday's crossword puzzle and before I knew it we were parked down the block from the store. Howdy came around the SUV and opened the door for me. I took his hand and slid to the ground, my movements clumsy and slow.

The sign in the window of the shop said 'closed'. What was going on? I pushed the door open and went in to see what kind of lingerie emergency could justify closing the store. As the door swung inward and the little bells jingled I heard a loud chorus of "Surprise!"

My eyes widened as I saw the shop had been decorated with blue balloons and crepe paper streamers. In the middle of the store stood Lula, Connie, my mother, my grandmother, Ella, Mary Lou, my sister Valerie and Mary Maggie Mason.

"We're giving you a shower," Lula said. "We was gonna wait until after the baby was born, but he's overdue and you're kinda grouchy and we thought this would cheer you up." I turned to look at Howdy who was backing out of the store. He gave me a little finger-wave and I realized he was in on the surprise.

"I don't know what to say," I stammered.

"You don't have to say nothin'," Lula said. "We got baby-shower cake, and punch, and all you have to do is open gifts. An' you can sit in my gift." She stepped aside so I could see a white rocking chair with a soft blue pad on the seat. There was a large red bow on the back of the rocker. "I got you this here rocking chair, so as you could sit and hold the baby between customers. We can put it in your office."

"This is wonderful," I said as Lula grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the chair. The next hour passed quickly as I opened gifts and ate cake. When I opened Ella's gift I was moved to tears. It was a basket filled with little black baby t-shirts, each one embroidered with the RangeMan logo.

After the gifts were opened and the second pieces of cake were gone, it began. Everyone in the room had a story, either their own or the story of a close friend who had experienced the worst labor ever known to woman.

"Are they going to induce you if you don't go into labor soon?" Val asked.

"Yes, but not until next week," I told her. "I'm miserable. I can't breathe and I can't sleep."

"You need to walk every day," my mother said. "Taking a long walk will make you have contractions and start your labor."

"Walking is okay," Mary Lou said, "but if you really want to have the baby, eat pineapple. It worked every time for me." Pineapple sounded better than walking to me; especially if it was my mother's pineapple upside down cake. I looked over at her.

"I'll bake it in the morning," she said, proving her mom ESP. "Your father can drop it off."

"If you really want to have the baby," Grandma Mazur said, "forget about all that stuff. What you need is an orgasm. You and Ranger need to have sex and you need to have a big orgasm. That will start contractions. I know because it worked for me." My mother looked frantically around, but the only drink in the store was punch and it wasn't spiked.

"Mother, must you always turn the conversation to sex?" she asked.

"I'm telling you it works," Grandma insisted.

"I heard it works too," Lula said. "An' if it don't you still got the orgasm to make you feel better." The bells jingled and we all looked to see Ranger walk into the shop, followed closely by Howdy.

There was a moment's silence as everyone stared at Ranger and then began talking all at once. Ranger raised an eyebrow and looked at me. He knew he'd been the subject of the conversation, but it wasn't my fault.

"Howdy and I are here to pack up the baby gifts and take them back to Haywood," he told me.

"You knew?" I asked.

"He knew," Lula said. "And Howdy knew, too. He helped me hang the streamers and blow up the balloons." Howdy and Ranger loaded the gifts into the RangeMan SUV double-parked in front of the store. Howdy decided to stay and help Lula un-decorate the shop. I thanked everyone for the surprise, and was not surprised at all to find tears rolling down my cheeks.

As we pulled away from the shop I turned to Ranger. "Let's not have Chinese tonight," I said. "Let's go to Shorty's."

"Feeling like pizza?" Ranger questioned. "Do you think pizza might be too spicy for you?"

"No," I said. "I'm not going to take a walk, so I need Shorty's Hawaiian pizza…for the pineapple." Ranger looked at me questioningly. "I'll explain it all later."

When we entered the apartment later in the evening, I went straight to the kitchen to put the left over box of pizza in the fridge. I'd only been able to eat one piece, but I didn't want to waste the pineapple. It was going to be a dietary staple until I went into labor. I wasn't taking any long walks. As for the other suggestion…I turned from the refrigerator and walked back into the living room where Ranger was looking at the day's mail.

"I have something to ask you," I said. I could feel my cheeks blushing, but darn it, I wasn't used to asking for sex. Mainly we just had it, but lately the frequency of our lovemaking had lessened. Ranger was sensitive to my moods, and I hadn't been in that particular mood very often in the last couple of weeks.

"I was wondering," I said. "If we could, well, what I mean is…at the shower they told me if I had an orgasm it would make me have a uterus contraction and it might start labor. So I was wondering if I could, if we could…"

"Babe." Ranger walked over to me and leaned down to kiss me. "If an orgasm will make you have a contraction, then would multiple orgasms make you have multiple contractions?" he asked.

"I, uh, I guess so," I said.

He started walking toward the bedroom pulling me with him. "Did I ever tell you about the time I spent in Romania?" he asked.

My eyes widened. The Romanian Rapture. "No," I said. "You didn't."

"We need to talk then," he said, as we walked arm-in-arm into the darkened bedroom.

Eleven hours and twenty-four minutes later, Adriano Ricardo Manoso was welcomed into our lives. I had an epidural, and I didn't shout obscenities at Ranger. Our son was healthy and beautiful. Ranger's eyes met mine shortly after the birth of Adriano and we shared a moment of sadness remembering the outcome of my first pregnancy. Then Adriano's lusty cry captured our attention and we were filled with joy… and we lived happily ever after. Mostly.

_**The End**_

_**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. Thanks to Latetolove and Jago-ji for all the editing help. They give of their time and talent, and I can guarantee any mistakes you find are mine, made after their edits!**_


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